Several summer and fall months of extensive restoration of the exterior of Wood Island Lighthouse's Keeper's House finally concluded in early December. This project, the largest undertaking in FOWIL history, restored the exterior of the keeper's house to it's 1906 appearance. The most dramatic change in this restoration was the removal of the enclosed porch for the return of the open air porch. The work also included replacing all the siding and roofing material, strengthening foundations, restoring the two chimneys, placing new security screens, and replacing the roof on the house-to-tower connector. Pictures from this project may be viewed by clicking here (Photos credits: Bob Trapani (ALF Chair), Kyle Noble and Sean Murphy).
Looking forward to 2012, FOWIL is excited to move forward with the next restoration projects that move FOWIL closer to the goal of the complete restoration of Wood Island Light. These projects include: replacing the siding on the exterior of the house-to-tower connector, restoring/replacing the Keeper's House windows, refurbishing the interior and exterior of the lantern room, and replacing the boat-house garage door. Please considering making a donation by mail or online to support these important restoration projects.
Thank you for visiting our web site.
We are
the volunteers of the Friends of Wood Island Lighthouse.
This historic lighthouse, authorized by President Thomas Jefferson, was built in 1808. 2008 was the Bicentennial birthday of the Wood Island Light Station. Our group has assumed the responsibility for its restoration and future use under a license granted by the U.S. Coast Guard. We began in March of 2003 and have made great strides in the years since we started.
Wood Island is a 32-acre uninhabited island sitting at the mouth of the Saco River just off the coast of Biddeford, Maine. The island hosts a wide variety of birds and is the nesting site for hundreds of seagulls, common eiders and other birds. It is an important stop on the Eastern Seaboard migratory Flyway. The Audubon Society manages almost 30 acres as a bird sanctuary.
The lighthouse, standing on the eastern seaward point of the island, is a picturesque structure consisting of a two-story keeper's house connected to the 42-foot stone tower by an enclosed passageway. A stone oil house is situated nearby. A boathouse, sheltered from the open ocean, sits at the opposite end of the island and is connected to the lighthouse by a raised wooden walkway approximately a half-mile away. The island is a step back in time to the era when ship navigation depended on its light and the task of operating and maintaining the light was performed by a succession of keepers and their families. Today, occasional visitors go to the island in kayaks and small boats to picnic on the lighthouse grounds. The lighthouse is closed to the public, but the Friends of Wood Island Lighthouse began to give tours to small groups in the summer of 2004 making it possible for visitors to see the interior and to learn about the lifestyle of the keepers and their lifesaving heroics. These tours will continue in the summer of 2009.
Wood Island has a storied past. One of our early activities is the research and writing of a detailed account of that past and the people whose service contributed so much to maritime Maine and the country. Visit the History link to learn more about Wood Island's 202 years of history.
We have launched a fundraising campaign to finance the restoration effort. The lighthouse is structurally sound, but much work is needed to put it into stable and attractive condition. Our construction will be made more difficult by the island limitations. Consequently, we need to raise a significant sum of money to restore it and to maintain it for the future.
We are sure you will be enchanted by Wood Island and its lighthouse. We hope your tour of this site will whet your appetite to become involved -- whether near or far away. Thanks again for stopping in and come again.
