A Timeless Treasure Awaits at the End of the
Rockland Breakwater
By Bob Trapani, Jr.
Have you ever
stood on shore at Jameson Point, in Rockland, Maine, and looked out over
at Rockland Breakwater Lighthouse perched atop the end of the stone wall
and wondered what kind of great experience could be obtained by
undertaking a fascinating journey across the
Photo by Bob Trapani, Jr.
The 7/8-mile long Rockland Breakwater
leads to the 1902 lighthouse.
breakwater? Maybe
you thought about the humanitarian purpose of the sentinel or about people
just like you and I who kept the light burning bright a century ago. Maybe
you even imagined what it would be like to have lived at such an exposed
location, surrounded by water and subject to Mother Nature’s fiercest winter
storms.
If so, then plan to visit the Rockland Breakwater Lighthouse the next time
the historic beacon welcomes the public to retrace the steps of bygone
keepers during one of the many open houses the Friends of Rockland
Breakwater Lighthouse (FRBL) offer each year. Every step you make along the
7/8-mile breakwater is like experiencing time travel, a moment where a
unique aspect of Maine’s lighthouse past meets present day volunteer efforts
to restore and preserve this symbol of safety and strength for future
generations.
Once at the lighthouse, visitors quickly discover that their walk over the
breakwater is more than rewarded as they step inside the historic 1902
Photo by Bob Trapani, Jr.
Rockland Breakwater Lighthouse
guardian of the harbor. Volunteers of the Friends of
Rockland Breakwater not only greet visitors enthusiastically, they also
“know their stuff” when it comes to sharing the rich history associated
with a structure that once served a dual role as home for its keepers
and guiding light to mariners seeking the
harbor of refuge
afforded by the breakwater’s granite arm of protection.
FRBL volunteer Ted Panayotoff explains what visitors see and learn about
when they first arrive at the lighthouse. “The keeper’s house is described
as the quarters for a keeper and his assistant keeper,” says Panayotoff.
“Their families, if they were married, lived ashore. I also like to tell
people that the keepers only had one day a week off to visit ashore.” Before
long, visitors begin to understand that living at a lighthouse was quite a
unique experience – one that wasn’t suitable for everyone. Lightkeepers had
to be able to cope with long periods of isolation and mentally capable of
dealing with boredom, especially during the wintertime when visitors and
chances to go ashore were much more sparse.
Panayotoff goes on to describe the interior of the lighthouse, saying, “The
first floor consists of a kitchen/dining room and a living room.
The kitchen once had a coal stove and a
sink, though running water did not arrive at the lighthouse until the
early 1950s. Originally water came from rain water collected in cisterns
that were housed in the cellar.” Panayotoff goes on to say, “We have no
specific information on furnishings for the quarters but assume
Photo by Ann-Marie Trapani
A view of a former bedroom on the
second floor inside the keeper's
quarters.
they were simple
as no families lived with the keepers. On the second floor there are two
bedrooms, with a full bathroom installed in the early 50s. Previously the
“facilities” were in the cellar.”
As fascinating as it is to learn about how the keepers lived inside the
structure, nearly every visitor awaits the climax of any lighthouse
experience – the chance to climb the steps leading to the top of the light
tower. The romance associated with the thought of a beaming light piercing a
thick, stormy night that guided mariners to safety is too alluring of an
experience not to take advantage of. As visitors ascend the stairs of the
25-foot tower, many imagine what it was like for keepers to carry lamp fuel
up to the light each evening and the lonely nightly vigils spent to ensure
that the flame did not go dark.
The Rockland Breakwater Lighthouse shows a flashing white light every 5
seconds from a focal plane of 39 feet above sea level and is visible 17
Photo by Bob Trapani, Jr.
FRBL volunteer Ted Panayotoff stands
next to the modern optic.
nautical miles, but FRBL volunteers share
more than mere statistics with visitors about the light. “I identify
where we are standing as the “lantern room” and describe its function –
to protect the lens and lamp inside,” says Panayotoff. “The original
fourth order Fresnel lens is also described, along with
the original oil
lamp. The function of the ventilators is also talked about.”
Panayotoff goes on to say, “I tell them the light was electrified in the
early 1940s and that the Fresnel lens was removed when the light was
automated in 1965. A 24-inch aero beacon (DCB-24) was substituted for the
fourth order lens. Two further changes were made, including the present
optic – a Vega VRB-25 beacon that was installed in the light during 2000.
The acrylic lens revolves continuously and the light is turned on at dusk
and off at dawn by a photocell. Inside the lens is a lamp changer that holds
6 very small lamps. The changer automatically moves a fresh lamp into place
if one burns out. The Coast Guard Aids to Navigation Team from Southwest
Harbor, Maine, periodically services the light. On the gallery is a fog
signal that is linked by a radio system to the fog detector at Owls Head
Light Station. When the Owls Head Light fog signal is turned on, the
Rockland Breakwater Light fog signal comes on also.”
A visitor’s walk back across the Rockland Breakwater following an intriguing
tour of the light allows for ample time to recount the many
captivating aspects of lighthouse life.
Where else can one go to learn about dedication, storms, isolation and
shipwrecks – all part of our rich maritime heritage, than visiting a
lighthouse like Rockland Breakwater? If you haven’t made that “walk back
in time” yet, you don’t know what you are missing. You might
Photo by Ann-Marie Trapani
The light's foghorn is activated by the
fog detector at Owl's Head Light Station.
even decide that you too want to
get involved and lend a helping hand to lighthouse preservation by becoming
a volunteer for the Friends of Rockland Breakwater Lighthouse, a chapter of
the American Lighthouse Foundation. Be sure to make that walk – and become a
“Keeper of the Lights!”
To learn more about the Friends of Rockland Breakwater, visit
