History


Built in 1907, Robinson Point Fog Station (aka; The Isle au Haut Lighthouse) was the last lighthouse station to be built in Maine. Its intended purpose was specifically to guide the New England ground fishing fleet into safe harbor during northeast storms. As the most modern of the sixty lighthouses along the Maine Coast, it introduced architectural advancements unseen in other stations and featured a behemoth 42 inch fog bell hanging over the water. In 1934, only 27 years later, as a cost-saving measure during the Great Depression, the keeper’s house was sold off, after having served as home to two U.S. Lighthouse Service families whose descendants today still populate the island. Additionally, the new owners of the keeper’s house then added richly to the island’s future population. In 1986 the keeper’s house was sold once more, this time being converted into an inn, which continues to the present. The lighthouse tower was transferred from the Federal Government to the Town in 1998: today it is maintained by the town’s Lighthouse Committee, while still serving as a registered aid to navigation.

The Lighthouse and Me: History, Memoir, and Imagination, by Jeff  Burke, is a comprehensive look at more than just names and dates.  Sometimes staid, sometimes  hysterical, his account is a caterwauling voyage from the Big Bang through discovering his own purpose in life. Burke invites the reader aboard for the excursion and encourages each of us to search the horizon for our own unique beacon.  The paperback book is available on Amazon.com and on Isle au Haut at Shore Shop Gifts.  It retails for $18.95.  It can also be ordered from the Friends of IAH Lighthouse, PO Box 41, Isle au Haut, ME 04645 by check for $23, which includes shipping and handling in the US.  All proceeds benefits the restoration projects.