Boon Island. Boon Island is a barren, rocky island in the Gulf of Maine 6 mi off the coast of York, Maine, United States.
The island, which is approximately 300 ft by 700 ft at low tide, is the site of Boon Island Light, at 137 ft high, it is the tallest lighthouse in New England. Numerous vessels have been wrecked on its rocky shoreline.
John Winthrop, the English Puritan lawyer and one of the leading figures in founding the Massachusetts Bay Colony, mentions passing Boon Island in the 1600s. A wooden day beacon was erected in 1799 but lasted only five years.
Fierce storms repeatedly scour Boon Island, which has an elevation of 14 feet above sea level at its highest point. Violent seas can heave boulders across its surface, demolishing structures.
A stone day beacon was constructed. In 1811, a stone lighthouse was built which stood 32 feet above the water, then rebuilt in 1831 to stand 49 feet. But damage from the elements was relentless. Consequently, in 1854-1855 the tallest lighthouse in New England, Boon Island Light, was built, 133 feet of massive granite blocks at a cost of US$25,000. It had a focal plane of 137 feet. Keepers willing to live in such a desolate place were few, arriving and departing in steady succession. Only one man seemed to thrive there; William C. Williams stayed 27 years and lived past the age of 90. In 1978, two lightkeepers on the island had to retreat from a p
The island, which is approximately 300 ft by 700 ft at low tide, is the site of Boon Island Light, at 137 ft high, it is the tallest lighthouse in New England. Numerous vessels have been wrecked on its rocky shoreline.
John Winthrop, the English Puritan lawyer and one of the leading figures in founding the Massachusetts Bay Colony, mentions passing Boon Island in the 1600s. A wooden day beacon was erected in 1799 but lasted only five years.
Fierce storms repeatedly scour Boon Island, which has an elevation of 14 feet above sea level at its highest point. Violent seas can heave boulders across its surface, demolishing structures.
A stone day beacon was constructed. In 1811, a stone lighthouse was built which stood 32 feet above the water, then rebuilt in 1831 to stand 49 feet. But damage from the elements was relentless. Consequently, in 1854-1855 the tallest lighthouse in New England, Boon Island Light, was built, 133 feet of massive granite blocks at a cost of US$25,000. It had a focal plane of 137 feet. Keepers willing to live in such a desolate place were few, arriving and departing in steady succession. Only one man seemed to thrive there; William C. Williams stayed 27 years and lived past the age of 90. In 1978, two lightkeepers on the island had to retreat from a p
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