National Register of Historic Places

Browns Head Light Station

Vinalhaven, Knox County, Maine
Listed
January 27, 1983
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
83000460

About this property

Browns Head Light is a lighthouse in Vinalhaven, Maine. Established in 1832, it is an active aid to navigation, marking the southern side of the western entrance to the Fox Island Thoroughfare, a busy strait separating Vinalhaven Island from North Haven. The present lighthouse was built in 1857; and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places as "Browns Head Light Station" on January 27, 1983. The Maine town of Vinalhaven occupies a large eponymous island in the south center of Penobscot Bay. The island is studded with inlets and peninsulas, and is just south of North Haven, the other major island of the Fox Islands group, from which it is separated by the Fox Island Thoroughfare. Browns Head is a promontory near the western entrance to the Thoroughfare, and the lighthouse is located on its western shore. The lighthouse is a cylindrical granite structure with a six-sided lantern house, 18 feet (5.5 m) in height, standing with its light about 37 feet (11 m) above sea level. The light has a range of 15 miles (24 km). It is connected by a short covered passageway to the keeper's house, a 1+1⁄2-story wood-frame structure. A light station first went into operation at this location in 1832. The present tower dates to 1857, and was originally equipped with a fifth-order Fresnel lens. The light was automated in 1987, and remains an active aid to navigation. The light is a well-preserved example of a pre-Civil War lighthouse complex. Folk singer John McCutcheon has a song entitled Old Brown's Head Light. The lighthouse features prominently in the 1988 Italian thriller Qualcuno in ascolto starring Vincent Spano. Goose Rocks Light, marking the eastern end of the Fox Island Thoroughfare National Register of Historic Places listings in Knox County, Maine

Location

Vinalhaven, Knox County, Maine
44.11163, -68.90913

Categories

COMMERCEARCHITECTUREMARITIME HISTORY
National Register nomination ›
Sources

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.

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Nearby Historic Sites

Wharf House
Industrial
2.2 mi
Goose Rocks Light Station
Industrial
4.2 mi
Pleasant River Grange No. 492
Industrial
4.3 mi
Murch Family House
Industrial
4.6 mi
Vinalhaven Public Library
Industrial
5.8 mi

Questions about this property

When was Browns Head Light Station listed on the National Register?

Browns Head Light Station was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on January 27, 1983.

What type of historic resource is Browns Head Light Station?

Browns Head Light Station is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Browns Head Light Station?

The period of significance for Browns Head Light Station is recorded as the industrial era.

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