The Cuckolds Lighthouse

The historical significance of the Cuckolds ledge in Maine dates back to 1874. Located at the entrance of Boothbay Harbor a busy East Coast port this seven-acre fifteen-foot-high rock ledge was easily hidden at night and by ocean waves fog or snowstorms. Initially it was outfitted with a tripod and day-board then a fog signal station and finally a lighthouse.</p>When the power of automation replaced the knowledge and skill of the traditional lighthouse keeper the Cuckolds Lighthouse was left on its own to battle the elements and warn the approaching mariner of the dangers lurking only fifty-nine feet below its shining light. Having withstood more than a hundred years of abuse from the ocean's fury the lighthouse stands today not only as a navigational beacon but also as a symbol of America's rich maritime history.</p>Unfortunately many of these treasures are severely decaying from time and lack of maintenance. A number of nonprofit organizations are answering the call to save these lighthouses but once a lighthouse is gone so is its history.<I> The Cuckolds Lighthouse </I>provides a look into the amazing past of a small lighthouse off the coast of Maine and the people who kept the little light going day and night.</p>