On November 9th, former keepers of Burnt Island Lighthouse in Boothbay Harbor, Maine — Paul Kelley, Randy Griffing, Hank Sieg, along with Jim McCullough’s son Steve — will climb the spiral stairs into the lantern room to illuminate the lamp in the Fresnel lens. This monumental event will occur on the exact night of the light station’s 200th anniversary.
Thanks to the generosity of the Spruce Point Inn, a party will take place on their grounds in direct view of the Burnt Island Light Station. The nonprofit organization Keepers of the Burnt Island Light have activities planned that will include games and making s’mores. “Food Trucks A-GO” will start serving at 4:30 p.m. and when darkness finally settles in around 5:30 p.m., party-goers will gather on the deck to provide former keepers with the countdown to relight the beacon that they once so lovingly cared for.
This will mark its 73,000th night of service to mariners and local fishermen, with Coast Guard and state officials on hand to certify this historic event.
Come celebrate Boothbay Harbor’s beloved icon and enjoy the magnificent fireworks that will light up the sky!
U.S. Lighthouse Society Historian Jeremy D’Entremont is the author of 24 books and hundreds of articles on lighthouses and maritime history. He is a past president of the American Lighthouse Foundation and founder of Friends of Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouses, and he has lectured and narrated cruises throughout the Northeast and in other regions. He is also the producer and host of the U.S. Lighthouse Society’s weekly podcast, “Light Hearted.” He can be emailed at Jeremy@uslhs.org