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Geographic coordinates: 43° 49' 31" N 69° 38' 27" W
Nearest town: Boothbay Harbor. Located at the west side of the entrance to Boothbay Harbor.
Established: 1821. Present lighthouse built: 1821. Automated: 1989.
Height of tower: 30 feet. Height of focal plane: 61 feet.
Earlier optic: Fourth-order Fresnel lens. Present optic: 300 mm.
Characteristic: Red flash every 6 seconds.
Fog signal: One blast every 10 seconds.
Boothbay Harbor was a busy fishing port in the early 1800s. Burnt Island Light, one of the earliest lighthouses in the area, was established in 1821. The 30-foot stone tower was accompanied by a wooden keeper’s house. In 1857, the original house was replaced by the wood-frame cottage that still stands. A covered walkway between the tower and house was also added that year.
For much of its history, this was a much sought-after family station. The island is close to the mainland, and the trip for supplies was usually not difficult. Keeper Joseph Muise lived with his wife and children on the island from 1936 to 1951. The Muises’ children boarded on the mainland during the school year and spent summers on the island.
In 1998, as part of the Maine Lights Program, ownership of the station was transferred to the Maine Department of Marine Resources. Since then, the buildings at the light station have been gradually restored to the circa-1950 period.
Public tours are offered in summer. In recent years, former Coast Guard keeper James Buotte has been donning a Lighthouse Service uniform to portray his predecessor, keeper Joseph Muise, for the visiting tours. You can call 207-633-2284 or visit www.maine.gov/dmr/burntisland/tour.htm for more information on the tours.
Fascinating Fact 
In 1962, this became the last lighthouse in New England to be converted from kerosene to electric operation. It was also one of the last lights in Maine to be automated (in 1989).
The lighthouse can also be seen distantly (about a mile offshore) from the road to Spruce Point from Boothbay Harbor, especially from Grandview Avenue. You can get much better views from cruises offered by Long Reach Cruises (1-888-538-6786, www.longreachcruises.com) and the Maine Maritime Museum (207) 443-1316, www.mainemaritimemuseum.org) in Bath, and by Cap’n Fish’s Whale Watch and Scenic Nature Cruises (207-633-6605, www.capnfishmotel.com/boattrips.htm), Balmy Days Cruises (207-633-2284, www.balmydayscruises.com), and Goddess of the Sea Cruises (207-649-2628, www.goddesscruise.com) in Boothbay Harbor.
