The Manana Island Sound Signal Station is an active

fog signal station A fog signal station is a station at which a fog signal exists, but at which there is no lighthouse. A light tower might be appended to the station at a later date, as happened at The Cuckolds Light in Maine. A number of these stations were const ...

on Manana Island,

Maine Maine ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the United States, and the northeasternmost state in the Contiguous United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Provinces and ...

, United States. Established in 1855, it is one of the only separately managed fog signals in the United States, having been operationally independent of

Monhegan Island Light Monhegan Island Light is a lighthouse on Monhegan Island, Maine. It was first established in 1824. The present structure was built in 1850. It was Alexander Parris's last significant design. It is the second highest light in Maine — Seguin ...

for most of its existence. It is also home to the only known fog signal trumpet tower, built in 1889. The station was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

as Manana Island Fog Signal Station in 2002.

Description

Monhegan Monhegan () is an island in the Gulf of Maine. A plantation, a minor civil division in the state of Maine falling between unincorporated area and a town, it is located approximately off the mainland and is part of Lincoln County, Maine, United S ...

is a small island community off the coast of

, consisting of

Monhegan Island Monhegan () is an island in the Gulf of Maine. A plantation, a minor civil division in the state of Maine falling between unincorporated area and a town, it is located approximately off the mainland and is part of Lincoln County, Maine, United S ...

, and a number of nearby smaller islands. Its harbor is situated in the channel between Monhegan and Manana Islands, just west of the main island. The Manana Island Sound Signal Station is located at the highest point on Manana Island, and consists of several buildings and structures. The present signal equipment is housed in small brick building, built in 1906 on the foundation of the original signal house, originally for use as an oil house. The former main signal building is a brick structure about , built in 1889 on the site of an earlier wood-frame structure. It is topped by a low tower that was originally used to house a

Daboll trumpet A Daboll trumpet is an air trumpet foghorn which was developed by an American, Celadon Leeds Daboll, of New London, Connecticut. It was basically a small coal-fired hot air engine, which compressed air in a cylinder on top of which was a reed h ...

. A shed covering several iron pressure tanks is attached to one side. The keeper's house, dating to 1855, is a much-altered -story wood-frame building. The station is served by an electromechanical hoist, to facilitate the movement of materials to the site. It consists of a set of rails, which extend from the boat landing on the island's east side to a hoist house, housing the motor, near the other buildings. This facility was built in 1905, and is maintained for use.

History

Monhegan Island has long been an important marine navigation landmark on the coast of Maine. Because it is frequently beset by

fog Fog is a visible aerosol consisting of tiny water droplets or ice crystals suspended in the air at or near the Earth's surface. Reprint from Fog can be considered a type of low-lying cloud usually resembling stratus and is heavily influenc ...

, the

United States Lighthouse Board The United States Lighthouse Board was the second agency of the U.S. federal government, under the Department of Treasury, responsible for the construction and maintenance of all lighthouses and navigation aids in the United States, between 18 ...

proposed in 1853 the construction of a fog signal for Manana Island. Congress appropriated funds for the station in 1854, and in 1855 a manually sounded bell was installed on Manana Island, about one mile west of Monhegan Island Light. In 1856 an automatic striking machine was installed. After further funding was secured, a steam-powered

, then an experimental device, was installed in 1870. It was replaced in 1872 by a whistle, and the trumpet was moved to the

Portland Head Light Portland Head Light is a historic lighthouse in Cape Elizabeth, Maine. The light station sits on a headland at the entrance of the primary shipping channel into Portland Harbor, which is within Casco Bay in the Gulf of Maine. Completed in 1791, ...

. Originally administratively part of Monhegan Island Light, the fog signal was placed under separate administration in 1876. In 1877 a new Daboll trumpet was installed. It was replaced in 1912 by an air siren, and in 1937 a radio beacon was added to the site. The station was automated in 1986, and the radio tower was removed in 1995.

References

{{authority control Transportation buildings and structures in Lincoln County, Maine Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Maine National Register of Historic Places in Lincoln County, Maine Navigational aids Buildings and structures on the National Register of Historic Places in Maine

Description

History

See also

References