Let's Look at Lighthouses: Bass Harbor Head Lighthouse

Today's look at Maine lighthouses ventures a bit farther afield than some of our others, but to a place many of our guests go, after a few days at Brewster House Bed & Breakfast in Freeport. It is Bass Harbor Head Lighthouse, on Mount Desert Island (not far from Bar Harbor, Maine), after which our Bass Harbor suite is named.

Perched high on the rocks, overlooking Bass Harbor, stands the picturesque lighthouse. The harbor is very accessible, but the light was needed to navigate the entrance. In 1857 the land was acquired and in 1858 a 32 foot tower constructed, and its fixed red light was lit.

Driving into the parking lot, visitors are often puzzled about where the lighthouse is located, as, looking in the sky, there is no tower visible. Because of the terrain, the parking lot sits above the height of the lighthouse, and only the top part of the tower is visible to arriving guests.

Unlike many modern lighthouses, the keeper's house at Bass Harbor remains a residence. Visitors can walk down the paved pathway from the parking lot, but must stop near the keepers house, to avoid disturbing the occupants. Often this can frustrate photographers, as they can not stand far enough back from the tower to get it all in the picture, but can not go farther to change the perspective.

Somewhat less noticeable, is the dirt path through the wooded area at the opposite end of the parking lot (near the public restrooms). It leads a short distance through the woods, to a wooden staircase leading down the cliff, to the rocks below. From this angle some of the most dramatic photographs of Bass Harbor Head Lighthouse may be obtained.

For additional information, please see:

• Coast Guard Lighthouses, Maine
• D'Entremont, The Lighthouses of Maine (2009, Lighthouse Treasury) 

Let's Look at Lighthouses: Pemaquid Point Lighthouse

Pemaquid Point Lighthouse, late 1800's

As our "Let's Look at Lighthouses" series continues, we travel up US-1 from Freeport about 40 minutes or so to the pretty village of Damariscotta, on the Damariscotta River, where we travel through town, then out the peninsula to Pemaquid Point and Pemaquid Point Lighthouse.

Marking the entrance to Muscongus Bay just to the east, and John's Bay to the west, Pemaquid Point lighthouse was ordered built by President John Quincy Adams in 1827. The original tower was of rubblestone, and did not last long - some speculate that the lime mortar may have been mixed with salt water, weakening the bond. The replacement tower was built in 1835, at a height of 35 feet to the lantern deck, and high above the beautiful rocks that lead to the water some 79 feet below.

Because the lighthouse was perched so high above the water, and the rocky bluff, it was very difficult to transport oil and supplies to the station. Lighthouse tenders had to anchor near the rocks, which was quite hazardous.

Pemaquid Point saw its share of wrecks, as the combination of treacherous rocks and Atlantic storms brought ships against the rocks in heavy fog. In 1903 two schooners suffered tragedy in the same storm. Later, in 1917, another struck the rocks, and while the crew escaped safely, the ship and its cargo was lost.

The town of Bristol purchased the keeper's house in 1940, and maintains the grounds and its small park area, plus operating a small fishermen's museum.

In 2007 the lighthouse tower was refurbished and strengthened, as well as being repainted.

Pemaquid Point lighthouse remains one of the most photographed, painted and admired lighthouses along the Maine coast, and is a favorite of many - appearing on the Maine U.S. quarter dollar in 2003.

Additional information:

U.S. Coast Guard, Lighthouses in Maine

New England Lighthouses: A Virtual Guide

Jeremy D'Entremont, The Lighthouses of Maine (2009)

Recipe: Butterscotch Drop Scones

One of the most popular scones we serve at Brewster House are our Butterscotch Drop Scones. They are super-easy to make, and very impressive. Some of our guests have heard the story that goes with the scones, but we'll repeat it here for the benefit of everyone else.

The person who first published this recipe on the internet said he had returned from a trip to Ireland, where he had some marvelous scones, and he swears this recipe is the very same as the scones he had in Ireland. Over our first several years at Brewster House we mentioned this to Irish guests, who all said they had never had any scones like these. One even said, "I must have lived on the wrong side of the tracks - our scones were not like these!"

Eventually a couple from England (he's Irish, she's English - and they are readers of this newsletter, so you know who you are!) had them, heard the story, and decided to figure out what the "Irish" scones could have been. Finally they hit on the answer and said, "Yellow Man." We thought we had misunderstood, but "Yellow Man" was what they described as a whipped molasses candy - in America we often see it covered with chocolate and sold as "Sea Foam." They feel certain that, instead of butterscotch, the fellow must have had scones made with chunks of Yellow Man.

In any event, we give you our version of Butterscotch Drop Scones:

Ingredients:

* 2 cups all purpose flour
* 1/3 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
* 1 tablespoon baking powder
* 3/4 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 cup (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, diced
* 1 cup butterscotch chips (about 6 ounces)
* 1/2 cup (or more) chilled whipping cream
* 1 large egg

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Sift flour, sugar, baking powder and salt into medium bowl.
3. Add chilled butter; using fingertips, rub in until coarse meal forms. Mix in chips.
4. Whisk 1/2 cup cream and egg in small bowl to blend. Gradually add cream mixture to dry ingredients, tossing with fork until dough comes together in moist clumps. Add more cream by teaspoonfuls if dough is dry.
5. Drop dough by 1/4 cupfuls onto large rimmed baking sheet, spacing apart.
6. Bake scones until golden grown and tester inserted into center just comes out clean - about 15 minutes.
7. Serve warm or at room temperature

Makes about 10-12 scones.

We hope you enjoy them!