Cape Neddick Lighthouse (Nubble Light)

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The Cape Neddick Lighthouse is a lighthouse located in York, Maine. It is still in use today.

When Cape Neddick Lighthouse was first established, plans had been in the works to build a lighthouse on the site since 1837. The tower is lined with brick and sheathed with cast iron. It stands 41 feet (12.5 m) tall but the light is 88 feet (27 m) above sea level because of the additional height of the steep rocky island on which it is located. The stanchions of the walkway railing around the lantern room are decorated with 4 inch brass replicas of the light house itself, though decorations on such utilitarian buildings are rare.

Location

The Cape Neddick Lighthouse stands on Nubble Island about 200 yards off Cape Neddick Point. The lighthouse is commonly known as Nubble Light or simply, The Nubble. Cape Neddick Point is at the north end of Long Beach in the village of York Beach. The lighthouse is inaccessible to the general public, but the nearby mainland is occupied by Sohier Park which offers a telescope with which to view the lighthouse and a gift shop with a “Nubble” theme.

Significance

Nubble Light is a famous American icon and a classic example of a lighthouse. The Voyager spacecraft, which carries photographs of Earth’s most prominent manmade structures and natural features should it fall into the hands of intelligent extraterrestrials, includes a photo of Nubble Light with images of the Great Wall of China and the Grand Canyon.