Bear Island Light Station, Acadia National Park, Hancock County, ME

Sited above a bold rock ledge, Bear Island Light Station is composed of a squat tower with an attached workroom; a detached, frame gambrel-roofed keeper's house; a barn; a diminutive stone oil house; and a boathouse. Though part of Acadia National Park, this lightstation is under private management and no longer serves as an official aid to navigation.

Significant Dates

1839

Historical Context

Bear Island Light Station, prominently located at the summit and western end of Bear Island. was established in 1839 as a guide to Northeast Harbor on Mount Desert Island.

Latitude (decimal)

44.2839692

Longitude (decimal)

-68.2700153

Significance

The station meets registration requirements as set forth in the multiple property submission "Light Stations of Maine." It retains integrity of setting, design, materials, and association evaluated under the historic contexts Maritime Transportation in Maine: ca.1600-1917 and Federal Lighthouse Management: 1789-1939.

GNIS/GNS Feature ID

1911394

NRHP Property ID

88000043

Authoritative Source

U.S. Geologic Survey (USGS). “Archive database of 2021” at U.S. Geographic Information Names System (GNIS) ( https://www.usgs.gov/us-board-on-geographic-names/download-gnis-data : accessed 31 May 2024).