This 150-year-old lighthouse was built during a swell in commercial traffic in the harbor for which it’s named, an aid to a thriving fleet of mackerel boats. More than 10 percent of the island’s year-round population still fishes for a living, though now they’re primarily after lobsters, and the light station remains a fine perch for watching boats come and go. It’s a markedly quiet counterpoint to a more famous island six miles away, where millions of visitors flock every year. This island, by contrast, sees its summer population peak around 1,000, and with just one inn, it hosts few tourists. Its beaches and freshwater swimming hole are never crowded, and even its annual music festival — an eclectic, folksy affair — is really only accessible if you happen to have your own boat. All reasons why islanders describe their little parcel of Maine as “six miles east of ordinary.”
If you can name this island and its historic lighthouse, submit your answer below. We’ll feature our favorite letter in an upcoming issue — and send the winner a Down East wall calendar.
