Pemaquid Point Lighthouse in Bristol
Maine is so closely associated with lighthouses that it was no surprise when one of these beautiful icons was chosen for our quarter in the 50 State Quarters Program from the U.S. Mint. There’s a good chance you’ve carried the Pemaquid Point Lighthouse around a while in your pocket or purse since the Maine quarter was released in 2003.
In order to learn more about this famous beacon, I drove down Route 130 in Bristol until the road ended. “Pemaquid” is Abenaki for “situated far out.” Like so many places in the coastal Maine region, the land is stretched out like long fingers. Often the most fascinating places can be found at the “fingertips.”
There are a variety of things to do at the lighthouse park, including a Fishermen’s Museum in the Keeper’s House and the Pemaquid Art Gallery. Bring along your lunch and enjoy the picnic area, if you don’t choose as cold and windy of a day as I did! You can see from the flags in the photo that the gusts were strong. I didn’t walk down on the rocks as the waters looked angry. People have lost their lives from the waves in this place so it is wise to take caution when exploring.
The Pemaquid Point Lighthouse was commissioned by President John Quincy Adams in 1827. During the building process, someone forgot (or didn’t yet know) that mortar shouldn’t be mixed with salt water. Within eight years, the structure was falling apart and had to be rebuilt. It has been standing strong ever since.
The lighthouse is owned by the U.S. Coast Guard. I was pleased to find it open the day I visited because this is one of the only places in the state that you can climb up a lighthouse tower (apart from the annual Maine Open Lighthouse Day). I waited for the visitors ahead of me to come down. As a side note: those two were dating when they entered Pemaquid Point, but left as an engaged couple. This is not an uncommon story in this special setting.
Marriage proposal or not, one’s head can spin a little bit when making the climb up the narrow and winding thirty-nine steps. While not extraordinarily high, the view from the tower is wonderful. Not only can you enjoy a different perspective on the lighthouse’s immediate surroundings, but Monhegan Island is visible far out on the horizon (if you haven’t yet seen the feature of Monhegan Island, it is HERE).
The view from the top of the lighthouse.
After chatting with the helpful guide for a while and taking some photos, I headed out with a takeaway lesson running through my mind. It is interesting to consider that a lighthouse which required rebuilding was the one chosen to represent Maine on the state quarter.
The selection of Pemaquid Point Lighthouse reminds us:
even if you crumble, you can still emerge a winner.
Especially if you’re grounded in Maine.
I’m on a mission to visit every town in Maine. Stay updated on the journey by signing up for the free Maine Features newsletter HERE. To learn more about this adventure, see the about page.