Accessibility: 
Geographic coordinates: 44° 18' 16" N 69° 53' 48" W
Nearest town: Manchester. Located on a small island in the northern part of Lake Cobbosseecontee.
Established: 1908. Present lighthouse built: 1908.
Height of tower: 25 feet.
Lake Cobbosseecontee is just west of the state capital of Augusta. Around 1900, the lake became a resort with many cottages and inns. The central part of a large, jagged reef in the lake forms a small island called Ladies Delight, located about a mile south of Island Park in Manchester. A lighthouse designed by Frank Morse, a Boston marine architect, was built on the island in 1908. The purpose of the light was to keep a passenger launch in the south end of the lake from going aground on the reef.
The light source was originally kerosene lanterns. A volunteer keeper would go out each evening to trim the wicks, clean the globes, and light the beacon. A system of grandfather clock weights was used to rotate a reflector. The lighthouse now receives its power via a cable from Manchester.
The Cobbosseecontee Yacht Club (P. O. Box 17, Manchester, ME 04351. Web site: www.cycmaine.org) maintains the lighthouse during the summer. A 2005 restoration included the installation of a new aluminum lantern. The lighthouse can be seen distantly from shore; contact the yacht club for information about getting a closer look by boat. Lakeside Motel and Cabins (207.395.6741, www.lakesidelodging.com) at the northern end of the lake has can oes available to guests; the adventurous might want to paddle to the lighthouse.
Fascinating Fact 
Personnel of the Cobbosseecontee Yacht Club erected the lighthouse with the help of two oxen. The builders could transport only one ox at a time on their barge. After taking the first ox to the island, the workers returned to get the second one. In the meantime, the first ox grew lonely and started swimming back to the mainland as the workers returned to the island. They finally succeeded in getting both oxen on the island, and the lighthouse was built over the course of the summer.
