In 1874 Congress appropriated $15,000 to build a light station at the Nubble. The Lighthouse was authorized for construction in 1877 by President Rutherford B.Hayes. In 1879 construction began and the Lighthouse was dedicated by US Lighthouse service on July 1, 1879.

The keeper’s house is two stories and includes a family room, dining room, pantry, laundry room and kitchen. A covered walkway built in1911, connect the keeper’s house to the tower. The light is located in a 41-foot tower, 88 feet above the high water mark. The tower was originally painted a reddish-brown. The tower was painted white in 1902.

The tower is 13’ in diameter, built of brick, and about 18” thick, and reinforced by an outer shell of iron sheathing. The original bell tower was taken down in 1961.

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OUTBUILDINGS

There are several outbuilding of interest on the Nubble. The red brick structure built in 1902 stored the fuel oil used to power the lamp and the small white building served as a storage shed and workshop for the lighthouse keeper. The white building located at the base of the island and facing Sohier Park is the boathouse. The February blizzard of 1978 the boathouse was washed out. In April 2007 there was severe damage to the boathouse due to a Nor’easter. The boat house was repaired in 2009.

There is a cable trolley that stretches from Sohier Park to the island. To get to Nubble is by row boat. The bucket was used by the Coast Guard to transport supplies from the mainland to the lighthouse station. In 1967, Coast Guard keeper David Winchester put his son in the bucket each morning to send him on his way to school. A photographer from the Boston Globe snapped a picture of seven-year old Ricky Winchester in the bucket. The photo appeared in newspapers. Madeline Downing painted a scene of the boy in the bucket, and it won the York Harbor Art Show. The picture was called “Off to School”

The district commander saw the photo in the Boston paper. An arrangement was made for Ricky Winchester to board on the mainland during the week. Soon after, policy went into effect that families with school-age children were not sent to the Nubble.

In 1939 the lighthouse service was disbanded and the reponsibility for the lighthouse system was charged to the United States Coast Guard. By the 1980’s the lighthouse automation program had begun and it became no longer necessary for the Coast Guard to man the island. The lighthouse keeper left the island in 1987. In 1989, the Town of York entered in to a lease program with the United States government. The intent was to secure the historical and architectural integrity for the buildings and insure the safe keeping of this community treasure.

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OWNERSHIP

On Saturday, June 20, 1998, ownership of the Nubble Lighthouse was given to the Town of York through the Maine Lights Program. In all, the Maine Lights Program awarded ownership to twenty-eight other Maine lighthouse, all former US Coast Guard properties.

Nubble Lighthouse has a long history as a tourist destination. Sohier park which is across from Nubble is today visited by hundreds of thousands of people annually. Nubble Light is an excellent popular dive site.

Sohier Park is named for William Davis Sohier. He was a lawyer from Boston who gave the land to the Town of York in 1929. His father bought the land for fine duck hunting.

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CELEBRATIONS

Each year the lighthouse is adorned with white lights. The first event is Christmas in July which is held the last Sunday in July. The second event is the Annual lighting of Nubble Light which is held the Saturday after Thanksgiving. Both events are held at Sohier Park. The lighthouse remains lit after dark through holiday season.

Sohier Park has free parking, a welcome center, gift shop and public restrooms You can view the Lighthouse from any location in the park.

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HISTORIAN WILLIAM THOMPSON'S NUBBLE HISTORY

When we look back into New England's Maritime history, we find lots of activity occurring off our shores. It begins with the Norse Sagas that speak of Vinland, a grape producing area and the home of the Salmon fish. The sagas tell us about a sailor by the name of Thorwald who was killed by the American Natives and his body was buried somewhere on a Cape they called Krossanes. A Cross marker was left at his head and feet to mark the burial site. Krossanes means the Cape of the Cross; could this be one of our small capes?

Further proof of the Norse sagas might come from a Viking coin that was found on Blue Hill Bay in the town of Brooklin, Maine. This coin is a Norse silver penny and dates back to 1,000 AD. It is on display at the Maine State Museum in Augusta. Stories of Lief Erickson, Thorfinn Karlseuni, and Captain Thorstein appear in our Maine history books. A Viking child named Snorri was born somewhere near here. Perhaps she was the first white child ever born in America. Six hundred years later Bartholomew Gosnold sailed into these Maine waters, the year was 1602. He referred to Cape Neddick as "Savage Rock". Gosnold had sighted Indians on this rocky one-mile peninsula that juts into the sea. In the early 1600's other explorers such as John Smith and Samuel de'Champlain had chartered our Maine coast. Smith referred to what we know as Cape Neddick peninsula as the nub or knob at the end of a point. Most of these early explorers' accounts describe the dangers faced by Sea Captains sailing along a jagged piece of land tucked between two sandy beaches. Today, Nubble Road follows this piece of land one mile out to the Nubble Lighthouse. The Nubble or Cape Neddick Light Station is one of the most beautiful lights on the East Coast. This Lighthouse located on an island takes advantage of nature at its best. Here we find unsurpassed views of a sweeping ocean, an inlet, a panoramic sky lined with billowing clouds, a sea breeze, rocks, sun and even fog. Out here even the storms are beautiful. The Nubble Lighthouse is a legacy, a gift and yes, a legend. One can sense the story of life, strength and hope. When the fresh ocean breeze brushes your face and your nostrils inhale clean salt air it is awe inspiring and your senses are awakened. It is no wonder the Nubble Lighthouse is the most visited, most photographed, and considered the most picturesque Lighthouse in America today.

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EARLY NUBBLE LIGHT HISTORY - WILLIAM THOMPSON

York, Maine is an old colonial town that shares in the proud maritime history of New England. Its history goes back to December 1631 when Sir Ferdinando Gorges received a grant of 24,000 acres. Settlement soon followed. Nubble Point is first mentioned in 1643 when William Hooke engaged Henry Blaisdell to take care of a herd of goats on the Nubble. As the settlement grew and active sea trade developed local fisherman, traders and Captains of coastal schooners were moving their ships in and out of Cape Neddick River and York Harbor. A steady pace of maritime traffic was soon developed. Fog, rough seas, storms and a tough navigation around an under sea ledge just off the shore created tricky navigation. These early sailors experienced many close calls and as time passed they became witnesses to several serious shipwrecks. By the 1800's these seafarers determined a beacon light was needed to warn of the impending dangers. The rocky slopes at Cape Neddick were chosen for the location.

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CONSTRUCTION - WILLIAM THOMPSON

The Lighthouse tower is made up of two layers of brick and reinforced with a covering of wrap around steel plates. The tower is 13 feet in diameter and the base floor is solid brick. Thirty-three circular steel stairs climb to the first steel platform. This area is used for storage. The fog horn connection, light switches, and extra light bulbs can also be found here. Two portholes are located on this level and used for ventilation. At one time keepers who used oil lamps would sleep here during storms. To get to the lens room at the top of the tower an eight-step steel ladder must be climbed and a wooden trap door must be opened. Now it is possible to enter the glass tower that houses the light. The light was imported from Paris, France, built in 1891 by F. Barbier & Lie, it was the best available at the time. Two bulbs are used, one as a backup. If the main bulb fails, the other switches within seconds and takes over. At this time an alarm tings in the main house to alert the keeper. The bulbs are Quartzline Precision Lamps of 1,000 watts each. The bulbs are enclosed by eight layers of glass prisms, which increase the visibility to approximately 13 to 14 miles in clear weather. The bulbs and glass prisms are set into a strong solid brass frame.

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