Lighthouses have long been integral to maritime culture and seafaring infrastructure. The earliest recorded lighthouse was the Pharos of Alexandria, a 330-foot structure built in 280 B.C.E. in Egypt, which stood as one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
These structures, built to alert seafarers approaching dangerous coastlines in the dark, remain in use today, although they have evolved. Keeper-tended flames have been traded for automated electric lights to serve as a visual warning and supplement onboard GPS technologies.
The Cape Neddick Light, or Nubble Lighthouse, located off the coast of York, Maine, is one of 60 lighthouses still operating along the state’s coastline. What’s the story behind this unique structure, and why is it so famous?
Also See: Maine Lighthouses Map
A Note on the Nubble
A lighthouse named “Nubble” may sound strange, but it makes sense when you see where the structure is located. Inaccessible by land, the lighthouse was built on a small rocky island measuring just 2.8 acres.
The “nubble” of granite — signifying a small protuberance of rock — is about 100 yards off the coastline. This nubble is highly visible from the shore, not to mention incredibly photogenic. In fact, it is among the most visited and photographed lighthouses in the United States, drawing an estimated half a million visitors annually even though it’s not open to the public.
Origins of the Lighthouse
The Cape Neddick Light was built in 1879 at a cost of just over $12,000, including both the island and construction. The tower features layers of brick and cast iron and stands at 41 feet tall, but because of the nubble on which it sits, the light is 88 feet above sea level.
One notable feature of this structure is the walkway railing. The stanchions are adorned with 4-inch brass replicas of the lighthouse itself.
Before the lighthouse was built, this area was known for shipwrecks. The worst recorded example was the wreck of the Isidore, which happened during a storm on Thanksgiving night in 1842.
Amid gale-force winds and 20-foot swells, the ship was dashed on the rocky coast near Cape Neddick, killing everyone onboard. Local legend holds that the phantom ship haunts the coastline to this day. It was this wreck that purportedly set the stage for the construction of the Nubble Lighthouse.
Notable History
The Nubble Light and its adjacent home hosted 13 lighthouse keepers over the course of a century. The first keeper was paid about $500 per year (less than $16,000 in current-day dollars) to man the light. The building wasn’t equipped with electricity or indoor plumbing until 1938, nearly 60 years after it was built.
Making an Extra Buck
One lighthouse keeper was reportedly fired in 1912 for padding his income by ferrying tourists to the nubble for 10 cents each, at the expense of tending the light. Several keepers kept livestock on the island, including cows and chickens, and supplemented their food supply with local seafood and waterfowl.
Ferrying and Foot Traffic
At low tide, it was sometimes possible to cross from the island to the mainland wearing hip waders, but many keepers and their families found other means to expedite the journey. A 1967 painting by Madeline Downing entitled “Off to School” depicts the son of a lighthouse keeper zipping over the water in a basket on a pulley system that was meant for shuttling supplies.
Peculiar Pets
Aside from livestock and wildlife, Nubble Island also hosted pets, most notably a famous tabby called Mr. T, who resided there during the tenure of at least two lighthouse keepers. The 20-pound feline became a tourist attraction in his own right for frequently swimming the hundred yards to shore and back.
To Infinity and Beyond
The Nubble Lighthouse was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1985. It has also been memorialized in film, appearing in the 1949 drama Lost Boundaries.
Its fame may spread even further, though. An image of the iconic structure was included on the Voyager spacecraft’s Golden Record, alongside landmarks like the Taj Mahal and the Great Wall of China.
Current Operation
The Cape Neddick Light was automated in 1987, eliminating the need for a full-time keeper. It retains many of its original features, including brass fittings in the lantern room.
The Fresnel lens, one of only eight remaining in Maine lighthouses, can be seen for 13 nautical miles on a clear night, still helping to keep ships safe as they cruise by Cape Neddick.