Halfway Rock Light
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 Undated photo of Halfway Rock Light |
|
| Location: | Casco bay off Bailey island |
|---|---|
| Coordinates WGS-84 (GPS) |
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| Foundation: | Granite |
| Construction: | Granite |
| Year first lit: | 1871 |
| Year first constructed: | 1871 |
| Automated: | 1975 |
| Tower shape: | Conical |
| Markings/Pattern: | White with black lantern |
| Height: | 77 feet |
| Original lens: | Third order fresnel, 1871 |
| Range: | 19 nm |
| Characteristic: | Flashing red 5 s. Emergency light of reduced intensity when main light is extinguished. HORN: 2 blasts ev 30s (2s bl-2s si-2s bl-24s si). Operates
continuously. |
The Halfway Rock Lighthouse is a lighthouse located on a barren ledge called Halfway Rock in Casco Bay, Maine. The lighthouse tower, which has a height of 76 feet, and the attached ex-boathouse are all that remain, as the other buildings have been taken away in storms. The name "Halfway Rock" comes from the position of the rock, being at the bottom of the bay and its proximity halfway between Cape Elizabeth and Sebasco, Maine, the west and east extremities of Casco Bay, which are about 20 miles apart. Halfway Rock is nearly equidistant from either, being approximately ten miles from both points.
[edit] History
The need for a lighthouse on Halfway Rock first came to attention when in the year 1835 a ship called Samuel ran aground on the rock during a storm. Due to the fact that the ledge is only ten feet above sea level on a clear, calm day, the ledge become submerged during storms. It has been underwater as much as eight feet during storms, and that is when the ledge was most dangerous. The cry for a lighthouse was ignored in Washington until, again, in 1861, another ship ran aground on Halfway Rock. This time, it was taken a bit more seriously. Construction began, but was delayed time and time again due to lack of supplies and lack of workmen. Ten years later, in 1871, the first light shone from Halfway Rock, as a new light had been completed. All of the keepers quarters were inside the lighthouse on different floors (the boathouse was only used for boats and storage.) The original light was encased in a third-order Fresnel lens and its characteristic was consistent white with an interruption flash of red once every minute. A fog bell was brought to the rock in 1887. It had a bit of success, but as technology kept coming out with new innovations, the bell was replaced with a fog "trumpet" in 1905. Since this was a hard lighthouse station to get to, in the mid-1930s, the United States Coast Guard began bringing a tender to the location to bring the men into the mainland (for multiple reasons) and back out to the rock. In addition to this, there was a helicopter landing pad, in case of emergencies where a helicopter was necessary. In 1960 a modern keeper's house was built, but was only needed for a little while as the light was automated in 1975 and the keepers removed. The light was automated with a foghorn and a red airport beacon which flashes every five seconds. Today the lighthouse still stands, along with an attachment to the side, but it is becoming very deteriorated and is in need of help to stay alive. The lighthouse is now possessed by the American Lighthouse Foundation, and they are trying to raise awareness of this and other lighthouses that need to be saved.
