Bass Harbor Head Light Station
About this property
Bass Harbor Head Light is a lighthouse located within Acadia National Park in the southwest portion of Mount Desert Island, Maine, marking the entrance to Bass Harbor and Blue Hill Bay. The history of Bass Harbor Head Light dates to 1855, when it was determined that there was sufficient reason for a lighthouse at the mouth of Bass Harbor. In 1855, the U.S. Congress appropriated $5,000 for construction of the lighthouse. On September 1, 1858, the beacon was lit for the first time. In 1876, construction was completed on a fog bell and tower, since removed. A much larger 4,000-pound (1,800 kg) bell was placed inside the tower in 1898. The house of the lightkeeper remains in its original configuration with the exception of a 10-foot (3.0 m) addition that was added in 1900. The lighthouse was added to the National Register of Historic Places as Bass Harbor Head Light Station on January 21, 1988, reference number 87002273. In 1902, an oil storage house constructed of brick was built 205 feet (62 m) northwest of the lighthouse. Bass Harbor's fifth order Fresnel lens was replaced in 1902 with a larger fourth order. This lens was manufactured by the French company Henry-Lepaute. This lens remains in service today. Today, the house is a private residence for a local Coast Guard member and his family. Tourists can get close to the bell and light via a concrete path, but most of the grounds remain private. There is a short walk which takes one to a series of wooden steps that lead down onto the many granite boulders that provide a great view of the harbor side of the lighthouse. National Register of Historic Places listings in Hancock County, Maine National Register of Historic Places listings in Acadia National Park Photos of Bass Harbor Head Light - Library of Congress - Historic American Buildings Survey/Historic American Engineering Record
Location
Categories
Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).
Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Everything a full report reveals about Bass Harbor Head Light Station
This page lists Bass Harbor Head Light Station. A full Aubrey report for an address near it pulls together this listing alongside battlefield records, land patents, and every other historical record within a chosen radius:
Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.
Questions about this property
When was Bass Harbor Head Light Station listed on the National Register?
Bass Harbor Head Light Station was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on January 21, 1988.
What type of historic resource is Bass Harbor Head Light Station?
Bass Harbor Head Light Station is classified as a district in the National Register of Historic Places.
What is the period of significance for Bass Harbor Head Light Station?
The period of significance for Bass Harbor Head Light Station is recorded as the listed era.
Can I research the history near Bass Harbor Head Light Station?
Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Bass Harbor Head Light Station will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.
More in Hancock County
Historic places, battles, and census history across Hancock County.
Explore HancockCounty ›Research the history near this site
An Aubrey US report for an address near Bass Harbor Head Light Station will include this listing alongside battlefield records and other historical sources within your chosen radius.