Lighthouse Beauties On Stamps

The West Quoddy Head Lighthouse, Lubec, ME, stands on the easternmost mainland point in the U.S. At certain times of the year, it is also the first spot in the country to see the morning sun. West Quoddy Head forms the western entrance to Cobscook Bay and the St. Croix River.  In 1808 a 49-foot rubble masonry tower was constructed. It was as tall as any tower built in Maine prior to 1850, except for the one at Portland Head. Fifty years later, 1858, the original tower was torn down and replaced by this cast-iron structure, overlaid with brick, pictured above. Its white flashing automated light beams from 83-feet above the water, as the lighthouse sets on a cliff. At the time of my visit here in 2001, this was an active light.

This lighthouse is one of five lighthouses chosen in 1990 for image on a postage stamp to honor the U.S. Coast Guard and the Lighthouse Service. The other four lighthouses are: The well known Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, NC; American Shoals Lighthouse, FL; Sandy Hook Lighthouse, NJ; and the Admiralty Head Lighthouse, WA.  Each of these lighthouses represented a main region of the coast line of the U.S. The United States Post Office sold the stamps for 25 cents as was printed on the stamp.

I feel fortunate to have visited all of these lighthouses, except one, the American Shoals Lighthouse. Although I've photographed all those I visited, I'm using The West Quoddy Head Lighthouse as an example for this post. Each of the lighthouses mentioned above has its own unique design and history, but since 1990, these share a like history of being selected to pay honor to the U.S. Coast Guard and Lighthouse Service on a postage stamp. (Below picture similar to that on postage stamp.)