Contributed by Boston Public Library
- Item 71719
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Description
President John Quincy Adams commissioned the building of the Owls Head Light at the head of Rockland Harbor in 1825, and it was first lit the following year. The 30 foot towers features a light 100 feet above sea level. A Fresnel lens replaced the original reflector system in 1856, allowing the light to be seen for 16 nautical miles. Later additions toward the end of the 19th century included a fog bell tower, oil store building, wooden walkway, keeper’s quarters, and generator housing. Owl’s Head was the site of frequent shipwrecks, including eleven between the years 1873 and 1896.
In the 1930s, around the time this postcard was produced, Keeper Augustus Hamor owned a spaniel dog named Spot who was known for barking a warning at passing ships. Spot has been given credit for saving the Matinicus Island mail boat when the boat’s Captain Ames heard the dog barking in a storm and was able to navigate safely into Rockland Harbor.
The Owl’s Head Light was automated in 1989. The keeper’s house at Owl’s Head became the home of the nonprofit American Lighthouse Foundation in 2012.
The caption reads, "Owl's Head Light, Rockland, Maine."
The Tichnor Brothers printing company published this type of postcard circa 1938.
About This Item
- Title: Owl's Head Light, Rockland, ca. 1938
- Creator: Tichnor Bros., Inc.
- Creation Date: circa 1938
- Subject Date: circa 1938
- Location: Rockland, Knox County, ME
- Media: Linen texture postcard
- Dimensions: 9 cm x 14 cm
- Collection: The Tichnor Brothers Collection
- Object Type: Text and Image
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