National Register of Historic Places

Saddleback Ledge Light Station

Vinalhaven, Knox County, Maine
Listed
March 14, 1988
Type
Structure
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
88000158

About this property

Saddleback Ledge Light is a lighthouse on Saddleback Ledge, an islet lying between Isle au Haut and Vinalhaven, Maine, in the middle of the southeastern entrance to Penobscot Bay. The station was established and the current structure, designed by Alexander Parris, was built in 1839. One of Maine's oldest lighthouses, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places as Saddleback Ledge Light Station on March 14, 1988. Saddleback Ledge is a rocky outcrop located roughly midway between Isle au Haut and Vinalhaven Island on the east side of Penobscot Bay. The lighthouse on it marks the entrance to the bay's main eastern passage. The light station consists of a single structure, a conical tower 36 feet (11 m) in height, built out of cut granite and topped by a ten-sided lantern house surrounded by an iron deck and railing. The interior of the tower has space for the keeper's quarters and supply storage, and has narrow vertical windows on its east and west faces. The light station was authorized in 1839, and the tower was built that year to a design by Alexander Parris. It is one of five lighthouses in the state whose design is attributed to Parris. The station at one point in the 19th-century had a wood-frame addition, which doubled as a boathouse, but that has long since been removed. The lantern house, deck, and railing all date to 1883. The light was the second to be placed on Penobscot Bay. It was automated in 1954. National Register of Historic Places listings in Knox County, Maine

Location

Vinalhaven, Knox County, Maine
44.01437, -68.72626

Categories

ENGINEERINGTRANSPORTATION
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

Isle Au Haut Light Station
Industrial
5.1 mi
Grant, Gooden, House
Industrial
5.4 mi
Webster, Moses, House
Industrial
5.7 mi
Union Church of Vinalhaven
Civil War
5.7 mi
Vinalhaven Galamander, The
Listed
5.7 mi

Questions about this property

When was Saddleback Ledge Light Station listed on the National Register?

Saddleback Ledge Light Station was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on March 14, 1988.

What type of historic resource is Saddleback Ledge Light Station?

Saddleback Ledge Light Station is classified as a structure in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Saddleback Ledge Light Station?

The period of significance for Saddleback Ledge Light Station is recorded as the industrial era.

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