Nominate your favorite Maine businesses for Best of Maine!

Granite Guardian of Rockland Harbor

Breakwater Lighthouse

March 1977

Between 1888 and 1895, the light station was moved four times. Its first keeper, Eba Ring, was succeeded by Charles Ames, who was paid $25 a month for lighting the lamps at dusk and extinguishing them at dawn every morning. On foggy nights, when the Boston boat was due, Mr. Ames was required to make another trip to the light station and, as the steamer approached, to strike a large metal triangle as a warning. At low tide, he could walk from land to the breakwater, but when the tide was high, and in the winter when the breakwater was covered with ice, he often rowed from Jameson Point. Between 1900 and 1902 the stone light tower and accompanying keeper’s dwelling were erected at the end of the breakwater by W. H. Clover Company.

—By Brian R. Harden, from our March 1977 issue