Whitehead Lighthouse

Whitehead Light Station Facts & Figures

• Station Established: 1804
• First Lit: 1852 (Current Tower)
• Construction: Material - Granite  |  Shape - Conical Tower
• Markings: Natural
• Fog Signal: Horn - Two blasts every 30 seconds
• Operation: Automated - 1982
• Height: Tower - 41 Feet  |  Focal Plane - 75 Feet
• Range: 6 Nautical Miles (6.9 Miles)
• Optics: Original - Third-Order Fresnel Lens (1857)  |  Earlier -    |  Current - VLB-44 (2017)
• Characteristic: Green light occulting every 4 seconds
• Other Existing Buildings: 1891 Keeper's House, 1891 Oil House, 1888 Fog Signal Building. Boathouse With Launchway, Schoolhouse, Granite Wharf, Tractor Garage (Former Fire Pump House)
• Current Ownership, Maintenance & Preservation: The lighthouse is an active aid to navigation and is owned by Pine Island Camp and maintained by Whitehead Light Station.

Visitor & Tour Information: The lighthouse is not accessible to the public unless by prior arrangement. Whitehead Lighthouse has hosted adult summer programs since 2009 and is also available for weekly rentals.

The lighthouse is best viewed by boat or plane. Monhegan Boat Line offers a Lighthouse Cruise that passes Marshall Point Lighthouse. Sea Ventures Charters (207-446-5484) offers custom, personalized charters from St. George aboard the 38' diesel-powered Lady Anne. Air tours are also offered by Penobscot Island Air.

The Whitehead Lighthouse's third-order Fresnel lens is on display at the Maine Lighthouse Museum in Rockland, Maine.

Lodging: Situated on 11.1 acres, the seven-bedroom Lightkeeper's house is available for rent by the week between June and October. A minimum rental period of 3 nights is required. Each bedroom has its own private bathroom. There are also two sitting rooms, a library, a dining room, and a full kitchen in the house. All linens are included. To rental rates and availability please call (207) 200-7957.

Lighthouse Trivia: In 1997 Whitehead Light was transferred from the Coast Guard to Pine Island Camp, a historic boys' camp located on Pine Island in Great Pond, part of the Belgrade Lakes Region. The Swan family, who own Pine Island Camp, had purchased 70 acres of Whitehead Island in 1956, and campers have been visiting the island ever since. The campers assisted in the restoration of the lighthouse and keeper's quarters as part of a work program.

Whitehead Island is one of the foggiest spots on the coast, averaging 80 days of fog a year.