A Visit to Doubling Point Light

Some Historic Info:

On May 29, 1896, the United States of America purchased a plot of land from Samuel S. Freeman of Arrowsic, Maine. Arrowsic is an island across the Kennebec River from Bath, a city which has often been called "The City of Ships" because of its long history of shipbuilding and its importance in worldwide commerce. Navigation up from the mouth of the Kennebec can be treacherous for large ships.

 

When first built, the Doubling Point Light Station consisted of an octagonal lighthouse, a keeper's dwelling, a small barn, and a fog bell tower. In 1899 the lighthouse was moved from its original foundation to its present location at the end of a long catwalk that extends through the marsh and into the Kennebec River. At the same time, the fog bell was relocated to the lighthouse itself and the fog bell tower was moved to the rear of the property and converted into a garage. The original foundation for the lighthouse tower still lies on a rock ledge at the eastern edge of the station property. In 1901 a boathouse was built, and in 1902, the lighthouse's original lens lantern was replaced by a state-of-the-art, fifth-order fresnel lens. In 1906 a brick oil house was added, and the station was finally complete.

If you are planning a trip to Maine, a must stop is the Maine Maritime Museum where you will learn all about the Lighthouse Age in Maine, and also about the city of Bath and Maine's shipbuilding heritage! They also have multiple lighthouse tours daily on the Merrymeeting Ferry which depart from the museum.

 

Here are some more pictures from our trip:

 

What a picture perfect day! It was around 65 degrees and perfectly sunny! What you will notice from my pictures compared to the one above is how the tree growth has pretty much overtaken the land and water's edge! You can only see a hint of the keeper's house from the lighthouse now.

 

My two most recent lighthouse paintings are of Doubling Point and Owl's Head Light. I am planning another day trip to Owl's Head soon, probably in the next two weeks. Stay tuned!

Doubling Point Light, Oil on Canvas, 40 x 30", This one is going to Mae's Cafe in Bath next week! Shop prints for this image HERE. If you are interested in purchasing the original, just fill out a contact form on the website HERE.

Owl's Head Light, Oil on Canvas, 40 x 30", This one is also going to Mae's Cafe in Bath next week! Shop prints for this image HERE. If you are interested in purchasing the original, just fill out a contact form on the website HERE.

I hope you enjoyed this blog post on Doubling Point Light! Feel free to pass it on to whomever you feel might enjoy it!

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