Contributed by Friends of Wood Island Lighthouse
Description
A cast steel bell which was fabricated by Sheffield and Sons Co. in Sheffield England in 1872. It was placed in the newly constructed fog bell tower at Wood Island Light Station in 1873. Unfortunately, steel did not hold up very well in the salty air and began to deteriorate quickly. A second "bell metal" bell was installed in the fog bell tower in 1890 and this larger one was removed and placed on the ground in the corner of the yard. It can be seen in various Coast Guard photos presented in this exhibition (1951 and 1975). In 1976 the bell washed into the sea and some local folks decided to rescue it and bring it to the mainland for safe keeping. The transport was made by Marshall Alexander in his boat the DeDeeMae. The bell was placed in the yard of the Union Church, Biddeford Pool until it was recently moved to Vines Landing, which is a more public location. There is a plaque on the wood apparatus which holds the bell and one can see Wood Island Lighthouse in the distance beyond the bell. The bell is dedicated by the Biddeford Historical Society.
About This Item
- Title: Fog Bell from Wood Island Lighthouse, Biddeford, 1872
- Creator: Sheffield and Sons Co.
- Creation Date: 1872
- Subject Date: 1872
- Location: Biddeford, York County, ME
- Media: Steel
- Object Type: Physical Object
Cross Reference Searches
Standardized Subject Headings
- Aids to navigation
- Bells
- Biddeford Historical Society (Me.)
- Fog bells--Maine--Biddeford
- Lighthouses--Maine--Biddeford
- Wood Island Lighthouse (Biddeford, Me.)
People
Other Keywords
- aid to navigation
- fog bell
- fog signal
- fog signal apparatus
- Lighthouses
- Stevens striking mechanism
- Winter Harbor
- Wood Island Light Station
For more information about this item, contact:
Friends of Wood Island LighthousePO Box 26, Biddeford Pool, ME 04006
(207) 286-3229
Website
Use of this Item is not restricted by copyright and/or related rights, but the holding organization is contractually obligated to limit use. For more information, please contact the contributing organization. However, watermarked Maine Memory Network images may be used for educational purposes.
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