Friends of Seguin Island Light Station (FOSILS) is a 501c3 organization incorporated in 1986 by Anne W. Webster, Patrick Moffatt, S. Sewall Webster, and Nat Chandler. This was due to overwhelming response by locally interested parties to maintain and preserve Sequin Island and the light station. Board members at that time also included Barbara Paiement, Hannah Batchelder, Fred Greene, and Jane Stevens.
Our mission is to distinguish Seguin Island Light Station as part of Maine’s maritime heritage through education and preservation to ensure access for generations to come!
Timeline
1985 – The US Coast Guard automated the light and de-commissioned Seguin Island Light. The four men stationed there were brought back ashore.
1986 – Friends of Seguin Light House Station was formed
1989 – The US Coast Guard awarded a 10-year lease to FOSILS of Seguin
1998 – FOSILS was granted ownership of Seguin Island through the Maine Lights Program.
1998 – US Coast Guard announced plans to replace the 1st Order Fresnel Lens with a solar-powered plastic optical one siting costs. FOSILS collected over 7200 signatures in a petition drive to convince the USCG to keep the historic lens.
2000 – Senator Olympia Snow announced an agreement by the CG to leave the lens in place.In her press release she stated,
“Seguin Island light remains the only operational [first order] Fresnel lens north of Rhode Island, and the Coast Guard’s decision will assure that this historic light will remain working into the new millennium, consistent with this historic lighthouse.”
2006 – Joe Cocking, Ret. USCG Chief Warrant Officer, and Nick Johnston of Lighthouse Lampshop, Inc. spent the summer cleaned, repaired and polished the historic lens.
2024 – The Board of Directors was reorganized starting with a rolling 3-year strategic planning process
This plan was generated in the winter of 2024 to get things kicked off to focus the Board focused on common themes. Our progress to the plan is assessed and updated each year.
FACILITIES
Light tower parapet – FOSILS closed the light tower parapet to the public through the summer of 2024 because of railing strength concerns. FOSILS arranged for a certified professional engineer to survey the parapet and determine it safe for use by the public with recommendations for preserving it for the future. FOSILS has appropriated $35,000 in donations for repairs to the railing in 2025.
Seguin Dock – A key obstacle to visiting Seguin Island is the small beach and 9 foot tide, making the island accessible for only ¾ of the tide cycle. To attract more visitors, the installation of a pier is now underway. Work is to begin in the Autumn of 2025 and be completed in time for the 2026 season.
Cove Erosion – While not initially in our strategic plan, as plans developed for the dock, it became apparent that the past winters have significantly eroded the cove beach and surrounds. Seguin has contracted with Pine Tree Engineering to help us develop a grant application and a detailed plan for remediation.
Restore/Repair/Reactivate our Tramway – Seguin Light Station’s 750 foot tramway was built in 1890 to transport coal from the cove up to the whistle house to generate steam for the station’s fog whistle and to heat the keeper’s quarters. The tramway today is the longest light station tramway still in existence. Today the tramway needs a detailed survey to determine needed repairs to prevent further deterioration of the structure and to restore it to operational status. A functional tramway will serve as a unique educational glimpse into the station’s past and well as greatly improving our ability move material from the cove up to the station.
CONSERVATION
North Atlantic Right Whale Protection – Seguin Island Light Station was the first lighthouse to be selected to be a relay station for the StationKeeper, a system designed to monitor shipping sailing through Right Whale protection zones. Any ships traveling more than 10 knots are notified that they are in a protection zone and a re required to reduce speed to 10 knots. Seguin and neighboring Halfway Rock are now operational in protecting The North American Right Whale.
EDUCATION
As a National Historic Place, Seguin Light Station’s core function is to educate visitors about Seguin’s significant role in Maine’s maritime heritage. FOSILS is expanding its educational role by educating our youth and generating interest in pursuing careers in the maritime field and marine conservation. As part of this goal, Seguin has teamed with the Marine Learning Project and fostered the installation of an 8,000 pound bravo mooring capable of hosting the training schooner “Harvey Gamage”. The Gamage’s first visit to Seguin with a crew of teenage sailors took place on June 21st of this summer. With this new capability to host larger training vessels, FOSILS has extended invitations to Tabor Academy’s “Tabor Boy” for its 2026 Maine Summer cruise as well as Maine Maritime Academy’s “Bowdoin”.
ONGOING 3 YEAR PLAN FOR SEGUIN STATION
The FOSILS organization is extremely proud of its progress in just the past 18 months. We continue to maintain a rolling 3-year plan and take advantage of arising opportunities to expand our contributions to our community.
- Keepers house windows. There are 24 windows in the keepers house which were installed when the Coast Guard ran the station in the 1980s/1990s. These windows were not made to survive the harsh marine environment and are badly in need of replacement. As a National Historic Site, FOSILS must install windows which comply with national historic standards. Current estimates for fabrication, transportation, and installation is $10,000/window or $240,000. Safely transporting these windows from a boat, to a dock, and up the tramway are what drives the sequence of capital events in our strategic plan.
- Additional goals. As opportunities arise, other projects are also underway. These include;
Restoring the early 19th century ox-cart trail to move material from the cove to the lighthouse
Maintenance plan for the tramway
Upgrading Keepers’ House water systems – Reverse osmosis systems being evaluated
Removal of old coal furnace and repairs to basement, including asbestos abatement – On hold until we develop a material handling solution to safely move scrap to the cove
Repairing Boat House and related infrastructure – Target start 2025 by volunteers
Deploying electric power to landing cove
Improving on-island internet (incl. webcams) – Starlink installed, webcams in 2026
Additional historical interpretive signage
Expanding educational opportunities in Maine’s maritime heritage
Since the summer of 1990, FOSILS has opened the island to visitors and has used volunteer caretakers each summer from Memorial Day through Labor Day to help greet visitors, give tours of the tower, museum and gift shop, maintain the island and our 5 hiking trails and host overnight visitors in our guest quarters that are maintained for members of Friends of Seguin Island Light Station. All this is due to our many volunteers, sponsors, visitors and members, whose donations help keep Seguin Island preserved and maintained for future generations.
Please join in preserving this magical place in history.
