President Rutherford B.Hayes authorized
the 41 foot cast iron tower in 1877
and was finished and illuminated in July of 1879.
The tower was originally red but in
1902 was painted white and stays that way.
A red oil house was built in 1902 and
a walkway between the tower and
the keeper's house was built in 1911.
There was a bell tower and a fog bell
but that was razed in 1961.
Still in use is an 1891 fourth
order lens,tho not the original.
Supplies were sent to the station
by way of a bucket suspended
on a line across the channel,and a similar
mode is still in use for
the maintentence equipment
Surrounding the light tower on the rail
are mini cast iron lighthouses.
Automated in 1987, the Town of York
manages the property and
have recieved many requests
from people to become caretakers.
Restoration work has been
done by a grant from the
Maine Historic Preservation Committee.
When NASA sent the Voyager II in 1977
a photo of Nubble Light was included
with items designed to teach
extraterrestrials about our planet.
Legend
One well known resident
of Cape Neddick Light
was a 19 pound cat,
who reportedly drew
as many interested tourists
as the lighthouse itself.
Supposedly the best
mouser in Maine,
the cat used to swim
the channel to the
mainland to visit
friends and then return
to the lighthouse to
deal with the mice.
