West Quoddy Head Lighthouse
West Quoddy Head, in Quoddy Head State Park, Lubec, Maine, is the easternmost point of the contiguous United States. In 1808 a lighthouse was constructed at the site to guide ships through the Quoddy Narrows. The current tower, with distinctive red-and-white stripes, was constructed in 1858 and is an active aid to navigation. The 3rd order Fresnel lens is the only 3rd order and one of only eight Fresnel lenses still in use on the Maine Coast.
The light station was added to the National Register of Historic Places as West Quoddy Head Light Station on July 4, 1980.[1]
A stone sign describes the lighthouse as the “easternmost point in the U.S.A.” It is the easternmost building in the United States (a nearby sign proclaims the “easternmost giftshop in the U.S.”), but the easternmost point is at rocks extending eastward from the shore. The present light station includes a tower, former keeper’s quarters, service building, and oil house. The tower is circular, and is 49 feet in height, with the beacon at 83 feet above sea level. The light, magnified by a third-order Fresnel lens, has a range of 18 miles. The tower is built of brick, and painted in alternating horizontal red and white stripes. A small gabled entry vestibule, also brick, projects from the tower. The keeper’s house is a wood-frame structure.
A lighthouse at West Quoddy Head, Maine, was authorized by Congress in 1806. The light station was finished on April 21, 1808, at a cost of $5,000. In 1820, Congress authorized the first fog signal at the station, a 500-pound bell, for a cost of $1,000 . The current tower was built in 1858. The present station was built in 1858. The former keeper’s house now serves as a museum and visitor’s center.
In 1990, the U.S. Postal Service issued a 25-cent stamp featuring the West Quoddy Head Light.
Where it is:
From Route 1 in Whiting, continue east on Highway 189 for just under ten miles towards Lubec. Before reaching Lubec, turn south on Boot Cove Road as indicated by the lighthouse signs. After 2.8 miles, the road turns east and becomes Quoddy Head Road. Follow this road into Quoddy Head State Park, where you can park and walk a short distance to the lighthouse.
Maps:
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Use the map + – controls to zoom in and out, click and drag the to move the map, use the Map drop-down to change to “Map”, “Satellite”, “Hybrid”, or “Terrain” views. Drag the little man icon from the upper left corner to a map location for street level view.
GPS:
44°48’55.212″ N 66°57’3.426″ W
Cost:
Day use fee is $3 for Adult Maine Resident, $4 for Adult Non Resident, $1 for Senior Non Resident.
Hours:
West Quoddy Lighthouse is open daily from Memorial Day to mid-October from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Call (207) 733-2180 for more information.
Tours to the top of the tower are given at intervals during the summer, typically every Saturday in the months of July and August. And during West Quoddy Annual Lighthouse Celebration in July. Also the second Saturday in September for Maine Open Lighthouse Day.
Open 9:00 a.m. to sunset daily from May 15 through October 15 unless otherwise posted. Off-season, visitors are welcome during daylight hours
Location Contact Information:
West Quoddy Head Lighthouse Photo Gallery
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More Photographic Destinations in Maine
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