Photograph by Susan Cole Kelly

The coast of Maine is guarded by more than sixty lighthouses, but there isn’t another one that looks quite like this stocky sentinel. A twenty-four-foot cast-iron tower, it was modeled on the Choragic Monument of Lysicrates, built near the Acropolis in Athens in the fourth century. Hence the fluted columns and the filigree. The light here was first lit in 1875 and it stood watch for decades, warning ships away with its flashing red beacon, before going dark in 1942 during World War II — like many others along the coast. During the war years, 274 Liberty Ships were built on the land adjacent. After the war, the light was decommissioned and sold. It was donated to the community in 1985, and the nearby shipyard grounds were made into a park with a cute name. (The same nickname is now applied to the lighthouse.) Thanks to the local Rotary Club, the light was relit in 2002 and stands watch once again, alerting ships about nearby rocks and welcoming them into the harbor. Send us a note at P.O. Box 679, Camden, ME 04843; whip off an email to editorial@downeast.com; or post a comment at www.DownEast.com if you can identify this distinctive old light.