Curtis Island Light

Year Built

1835

Cost

$4,500

Type

Cylindrical brick tower

Height

25 feet

Location

Outside of Camden Harbor in Penobscot Bay, Camden

Automated Year

1972

First Lit

1896 (current structure)

Lens Type

Fourth Order Fresnel Lens

Fog Signal

None

Year Deactivated

Active

Color

White - Black Lantern

Last Keeper - Date

John Gustin (1971 – 1972)

Description

The present keeper's house was built in 1889, on the foundation of the original keeper's house, and the light tower was built in 1896. In addition to serving as a marker for the Camden Harbor entrance, the station also served as a signal tower for Bangor-bound ships.

Brief History

•  George Galt completed the lighthouse in 1836, on land purchased from John Dorr of Boston for $400. The first keeper was Henry K.M. Bowers.
•  During 1867-1868, the keeper’s house was extensively repaired and a woodshed was added.
•  An oil house was added to the station in 1894, and next it was time for a new tower. On May 11, 1896, the lantern from the rubblestone tower was mounted on a temporary tower, forty feet to the east, and the old lighthouse was subsequently demolished to make room for its successor.
•  In 1970, Camden residents convinced the Coast Guard that the light station should be turned over to the town rather than being auctioned to a private individual.
•  In December 2023, the Town of Camden and the newly formed Camden Island Lighthouse Foundation agreed to jointly fund a third-party assessment of the property to help guide its restoration.