St. Croix River Lighthouse

Oct. 17, 2019
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St. Croix River Lighthouse, St. Croix River, Maine

Built in 1857, additions made in 1901, destroyed by fire in 1976, current tower is a skeleton tower built post 1976.

SAINT CROIX RIVER LIGHT

DOCHET ISLAND SAINT CROIX RIVER NEAR CALAIS, MAINE
Station Established: 1857
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1901
Operational? NO
Automated? 1957
Deactivated: 1976
Foundation Materials: 
Construction Materials: WOOD
Tower Shape: OCTAGONAL TOWER ATOP KEEPER’S HOUSE
Markings/Pattern:
Relationship to Other Structure: ATTACHED
Original Lens: FIFTH ORDER FRESNEL

Historical Information:

  • Established in 1857 the Saint Croix River light was the first lighthouse in the First Lighthouse District. The lighthouse was a wooden octagonal tower atop the keeper’s house built on Dochet Island. A fifth order Fresnel lens was the original optic.
  • In 1901 the lighthouse was rebuilt. It, too, was a tower atop a keeper’s house. It looked very similar to the original 1857 light.
  • The light was automated in 1957 and was basically abandoned. 
  • In 1976 a fire destroyed the light station.

Researched and written by Melissa Buckler, a volunteer through the Chesapeake Chapter of the U.S. Lighthouse Society.
Land Asset Lighthouse