- Stock: In Stock
- Weight: 21.00g
- Dimensions: 6.00mm x 77.00mm x 52.00mm
- SKU: 00005295
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Licence
The author of the photo: Triggz Labrador. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0).
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Description
This Souvenir Fridge Magnet Features a Shot of Maine's Photogenic West Quoddy Head Lighthouse
One of the perennial attractions of the Maine Coast is its rich collection of beautiful lighthouses. While lighthouses were designed for purely pragmatic purposes - to keep ships from crashing into the rocks on Maine's rugged coastline - their siting on dramatic headlands, their seemingly whimsical paint jobs and their distinctiveness on the landscape have made them popular with tourists since their creation. Even the Ancient Greeks spoke admiringly (and visited in great numbers) the Lighthouse of Alexandria. This has also meant that lighthouses have found their way into numerous souvenirs. Resin fridge magnets, snow globes, statues, t-shirts and bottle openers all feature these distinctive towers. Their presence on our fridges or on our walls evokes memories of the seashore, of the salt breezes, swimming and boating. This is especially true of the state of Maine, which is known for its wide collection of lighthouses, such as West Quoddy Head.
West Quoddy Head Lighthouse is the Easternmost Point in the USA
Looking out towards the Canadian province of New Brunswick and tocked into the northeastern corner of Maine, West Quoddy Head is the easternmost point in the contiguous United States. This makes it the closest point to Europe. The first lighthouse here was erected in 1808, during the heyday of New England shipping and whaling, though the current house was constructed in 1858 and given its distinctive red and white striped exterior to make it more visible to sailors at sea. The first fog signal (used to alert ships when visibility is poor) was a 500 pound, $1,000 bell placed in the station in 1820 and paid for by the US Congress. In 1988, the last of the lighthouse keepers in residence left the facility and since then it has been fully automated.