In 1990, Goat Island Light Station, at the entrance to Cape Porpoise Harbor in southern Maine, became one of the last light stations in the country to be automated and destaffed. After automation, the island became the property of the nonprofit Kennebunkport Conservation Trust.
A project to rebuild the station’s fog bell tower and the covered walkway between the tower and keeper’s house was completed in the fall of 2011. The station’s fog bell, long on display at the Kennebunkport Historical Society, was returned to the island and now hangs on the side of the bell tower. The Trust now faces a new challenge with the loss of the power cable that provided electricity on the island.
Scott Dombrowski, the island overseer for the trust, has spent much time on the island over the past 30 years with his wife, Karen, and their two sons, Eric and Gregory. Tom Bradbury is the executive director of the Kennebunkport Conservation Trust. This is part two of a two-part interview with Karen and Scott Dombrowski, along with Tom Bradbury. Also taking part in the discussion is Bob Trapani, Jr., executive director of the American Lighthouse Foundation, along with Light Hearted host Jeremy D’Entremont.
Watch the Goat Island Lighthouse dedication event that took place on October 12, 2011:
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Jeremy D’Entremont is the author of more than 20 books and hundreds of articles on lighthouses and maritime history. He is the president and historian for 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 podcast, “Light Hearted.” He can be emailed at Jeremy@uslhs.org