Rockland Breakwater And Light

As you approach Rockland from the sea, you are immediately struck by the impressive breakwater with a lighthouse at the end of it. Impressive indeed as we have passed the breakwater on both sides and the water is around 50 feet MLW for most of the the breakwater.

In the 1850s several severe nor'easters caused considerable damage to many Rockland waterfront installations, businesses and to shipping in the harbor. Lack of a protective breakwater clearly prevented the harbor from realizing its potential as a commercial port and as a harbor of refuge for coastal shipping. However, in spite of citizen petitions and the intervention by a local Senator, Congress did not approve construction of a breakwater until 1880. Construction began almost immediately.

Construction of the single-breakwater design was completed on November 24, 1899, but severe winter storms during the winter of 1899-1900 proved that the height needed to be increased. The four-foot-high cap was completed on October 15, 1901 including the base at the end for the lighthouse.  A total of 768,774 tons of stone were used for the project and the total expenditures up to that point was $880,093.

On September 19, 1902 the W.H. Glover Company completed work on the lighthouse and on October 20, 1902 it was equipped with a fourth-order flashing white light. On October 30, 1902 the Rockland Breakwater Light was officially operational

I was very curious as to how they were able to move these massive stones into place. The lighthouse is open on weekends and they were able to explain that sailing sloops were used to transport and then lower the stones into place.