Did you know that the breakwater in Rockland was actually built before the lighthouse? It was constructed for the purpose of protecting the harbor after several severe nor’easters and took 18 years to complete. The breakwater is 45 feet wide at the top, 175 feet wide at its base, and is 8/10 of a mile long! A small portable light was erected first in 1888. Between 1888 and 1895 the light station was moved four times while construction continued, until the final lighthouse was completed on the site of today’s light.
You can read more about the history of the breakwater and the lighthouse via the Friends of Rockland Harbor Lights website.
I have always lived in southern Maine, but part of my heart belongs to the Midcoast region. I started spending more and more time in the Rockland area in my adult years, and it’s a special spot for my husband and I. It’s where we first went away together and where we try to return year after year for a brief respite from our hectic lives. Rockland Breakwater Light has always been a steady beacon in the harbor and can be spotted from many vistas around town. We’ve ventured onto the jetty many times over the years, walking the nearly one mile stretch with the ocean on either side of us in order to reach the lighthouse and be able to walk around it.
I chose to portray this scene as viewed from the marina, where one can see the entire building in full (something you can't do while on the breakwater). I really enjoyed creating this piece, especially working on the block foundation that the lighthouse sits on.
Like this artwork? Prints are available in my online shop.
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