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West Quoddy Head, Maine

Harbour Lights Open Edition #431
Great Lighthouses of the World

West Quoddy Head Lighthouse stands on the eastern most point of the United States, on the west side of Quoddy Narrows. Navigation through this channel is confusing and treacherous - for many reasons.

The regions notorious pea soup fog often makes it utterly impossible to see. Add to that the threat of a vicious pile of granite called Sail Rocks. Indian believed these rocks were the stepping stones of a giant that lived on the Canadian Grand Manan Island. Others say the rocks resemble a ship's sail. To sailors, Sail Rocks represent a cemetery at sea, and they give the ledge a wide berth. The beam from West Quoddy enables them to do so.

Before the shore was illuminated, so many ships wrecked against the rocks that by the early nineteenth century citizens and mariners demanded a lighthouse be built. By 1806, President Thomas Jefferson agreed and ordered its construction.

West Quoddy Head is one of Maine's oldest lighthouses, and according to legend, has some of Maine's oldest "inhabitants." Ghost stories abound here. There's the tragic tale of a woman who searches for her baby lost at sea. Some mysteries involve ghosts that kept the tower's tens and brass polished, not to mention one that even did some sweeping.

Unfortunately, none of the ghosts pitched in when it came to ringing the nation's first fog bell. It weighed 500 pounds and had to be struck by hand. Sometimes keepers had to stand hammering the bell for days. Still, the dense haze dulled the sound. Throughout the years, West Quoddy has used many different signals, attempting to cut through the dangerous fog,

And yet, it is the very dangers - the draping mist, craggy cliffs and jagged, life-threatening rocks - that make West Quoddy one of the country's most picturesque lighthouses. The famous red and white stripes on the tower only add to its charm, The United States Post Office even chose it for its lighthouse commemorative stamp series, in which only five lighthouses represent all the beacons in our country.

We've captured West Quoddy Head's unique beauty and character in our replica, shown after the tower was rebuilt in 1858.

Click on each image to view a larger size in a new window.

Other West Quoddy Head ME Releases:

Limited Edition	LL135 Little Light

Photographs by Paul L. Brady © Harbour Lights  March 06, 2003