West Quoddy Head Light
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| West Quoddy Head Light | |
|---|---|
 West Quoddy Head Lighthouse and Quoddy Narrows, with Grand Manan Island, Canada, visible in the background |
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| Location: | West Quoddy head/Bay of Fundy |
| Coordinates WGS-84 (GPS) |
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| Year first constructed: | 1808 |
| Year first lit: | 1858 (Current tower) |
| Automated: | 1988 |
| Foundation: | Masonry |
| Construction: | Brick |
| Tower shape: | Conical |
| Markings/Pattern: | Red and white bands with black lantern |
| Height: | 49 feet |
| Elevation: | Center of lantern 83 feet (25.3 meters) above sea level |
| Original lens: | Third order Fresnel lens |
| Intensity: | 30,000 candlepower, 1000 watt bulb |
| Range: | 15-18 miles (24-29 kilometers) at sea |
| Characteristic: | Flashing(2) White 15s with the following pattern: 2s flashing 2s eclipse, 2s flashing 9s eclipse. Lighted throughout 24 hours. Emergency light of reduced intensity when main light is extinguished. HORN: 2 blasts ev 30s (2s bl-2s si-2s bl-24s si). |
West Quoddy Head (44°49' north latitude, 66°57' west longitude) in Lubec, Maine is the easternmost point in the 48 contiguous states of the United States. West Quoddy Head is adjacent to the Quoddy Narrows, a narrow strait between Canada and the United States. Since 1808, there has been a lighthouse on the site to guide ships through this waterway. The present one with distinctive red-and-white stripes was built in 1858. Photographs and paintings of this lighthouse are frequently reproduced.
Historical Chronology from Coast Guard web site:
- 1806: Lighthouse at West Passamaquoddy Head, Maine, first authorized by Congress.
- 1808: Light station established on 21 April 1808 at a cost of $5,000. The first keeper was Thomas Dexter.
- 1820: On May 15, Congress authorizes the first fog signal, a 500-pound bell, at the station for a cost of $1,000.
- 1939: Howard Grey was the last civilian keeper of the station prior to its transfer to the U.S. Coast Guard.
- 1962: As of 15 August 1962 BM1 Bruce Keene was OIC, or Officer-in-Charge (dates of the time he began and ended his tour are not presently known--he served at least through September *1964.) According to documents in the West Quoddy file, his father, LT Thomas Keene, had previously served as the head keeper of the light station.
- 1963: As of 27 October Keene was still OIC and (Engineman?) Richard Copeland was his assistant.
- 1978: Through 31 May the OIC was BM1 Cliffton Scholfield. He had a crew of two assistants: MT2 Carl Hatch and MT# Davis Blanding.
- 1978: On 1 June, BM2 George Eaton took over as the OIC of the station. He had two assistants.
- 1979: MK3 Carl Hatch was a member of the crew.
- 1981: As of 14 September, the OIC was BM1 John Richardson.
- 1988: The light was automated in July 1988. The last OIC (keeper) was Malcolm Rouse, USCG.
[edit] See also
- Extreme points of the United States
- West Quoddy Head Lighthouse- from Lighthousefriends.com
- West Quoddy Head Light from New England Lighthouses: A Virtual Guide
