This lighthouse is located at Rockland, ME and sits at the end of a 4,300 foot long granite barrier. The barrier lays across the north side of the entrance to Rockland Harbor. Building started at the end of the nineteenth century and lasted over a twenty-year period. It sheltered vessels and wharves against the open ocean. Then, in 1895 a brick fog signal building was built atop a granite foundation at the outer end of the uncompleted sea wall, at the time. Seven years later, a twenty-five foot high square brick tower and attached two-story gambrel-roofed keepers house were added. The lighthouse projects from the northwest corner of the fog signal house. It was equipped with a fourth order Fresnel lens which provided navigational assistance until 1965. It was removed and replaced by an automated light.
Years later the City of Rockland acquired the lighthouse and formed The Friends of Rockland Breakwater Light. They raise funds to preserve and maintain the historic structure. I visited this lighthouse in 1997, and to get to this compact light station and see it up close, one had to walk the length of the forty-three-foot-
wide breakwater. It contains over 750,000 tons of cut granite boulders. If you visit, pick up your feet or you'll be tripping on the jagged edges of granite.
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