You know those places that you visit and they just stick with you? The memory is just burned clearly into your brain? When my dear friend Robyn texted me a picture of Portsmouth Harbor Light a few weeks (now months😅) ago, I knew immediately she was headed to the Isles of Shoals. That particular view of the light is seared into my memory from my own journey to the Isles and I have a similar photograph from that day on the ferry to the Isles. All of this to say, the Isles of Shoals are a special place and you'll soon see why.
You may have noticed in the title that the Isles of Shoals are split between New Hampshire and Maine, and consist of a collection of rocky islands and ledges - hence the name. They are situated about 6 miles from East Coast and straddle the line between Maine and New Hampshire with the islands Star, Lunging, and Seavey in New Hampshire and Cedar, Smuttynose, Malaga, Appledore, Mingo, Shag, Duck, and Eastern in Maine. In total, the Isles consist of 206 acres.
Based on archeological evidence, Native Americans used the isles for fishing and hunting as early as 800. The islands were "discovered" by Captain John Smith (yes, the same one in Pocahontas) in 1614. Once the Americas were settled by colonists, fishing communities sprang up on the isles in the 1600 and 1700s. The first town was formally established in 1641 by the 40 families living on Appledore.
The rocky islands were a consistent issue for ships and mariners. A breakwater connecting Malaga and Smuttynose Islands was built by Captain Haley to further enhance the natural harbor formed by Malaga, Smuttynose, Cedar, and Star Islands. He kept a lamp lit every night to aid ships in the dark. It wasn't enough though to save the Sagunte, which wrecked on the rocks on the southeastern end of Smuttynose in January 1813. A stone marking the casualties still remains on site.
At the onset of the American Revolution, historians estimate as many as 600 people lived on the islands year-round. Notable resident families include the Haley, Caswell, Beebe, and Laighton families. Remnants of these families are still visible today as they had family burying grounds near their homes. Haley Cottage, which still stands on Smuttynose, has been dated to prior to 1800 and is one of the oldest homes in Maine. There are numerous accounts of the distinctive dialect developed on the Isles of Shoals since the residents were largely isolated for nearly 200 years. There was a strong local culture. Unfortunately, the local dialect and culture largely disappeared at the the onset of the Revolution since most of the residents moved to the mainland for safety.
By the 1800s, the isles were beginning to transform from fishing into more of a summer resort destination. This transition began in earnest in 1846. Because of the natural harbor created by Star, Cedar, Smuttynose, and Malaga, it was relatively easy to bring boats to and fro. With this new resort identity and isolated beauty, the Isles became a mecca for artistic expression by the late 1800s for painters, poets, writers, and more. William Morris Hunt, renowned American portrait and landscape painter and brother to architect Richard Morris Hunt, actually died on Appledore Island in 1879. American Impressionist Childe Hassam had a studio on Appledore. Some notable authors that visited the Isles include Samuel Longfellow, Harriet Beecher Stowe, and dozens of others.
Appledore Island
Each island has its own history and we'll dive into a few, starting with the largest: Appledore. Appledore, which used to be known as Hog Island, is 95 acres. As with the other islands, it was home first to Native Americans and then colonial fishermen. Interestingly, many settlers relocated across the state line to Star Island in the 1700s to avoid Maine's higher taxes. This left the island largely unpopulated. Appledore became a prime location for a summer resort and that's exactly what happened when former White Island Lighthouse Keeper Thomas Laighton bought most of the island and developed the Appledore House in 1848.
The summer resort flourished for decades and was even home to a vibrant arts community, until 1914, when a fire destroyed the hotel beyond repair. Fourteen years later a marine lab was opened, which ran until the Second World War, when the US government took control of the island for strategic purposes. They constructed a concrete tower for anti-aircraft intelligence service.
The island returned to a life of research in 1966, when The Shoals Marine Lab was founded. It continues to operate as a seasonal marine lab as a partnership between Cornell University and the University of New Hampshire. There are also some private homes dotted around Appledore Island. You can book a tour to see the island through the University of New Hampshire.
Smuttynose Island
Working our way south from Appledore, Smuttynose Island is next. It is the third largest island at about 25 acres and stone breakwaters connect it to Malaga and Cedar Islands. You're probably wondering where the unique name came from... or maybe you're not. As the story goes, fishermen thought the southern point of the island which was often covered in seaweed looked like the "smutty nose" of a sea creature. The name stuck.
In the 19th century, Smuttynose was owned by one family: the Haleys. It housed a small village and also the first hotel on the Isles, called the Mid-Ocean House. Unfortunately, this time in history is overshadowed by one very horrific event: the ax murder of two Norwegian women in 1873. It's a long, convoluted tale (link to an article below), but the gist is that a desperate man knew two women were alone and that there was a substantial amount of saved cash in the house. He rowed ashore from Portsmouth in the night and killed them when they discovered him in the house looking for the money. He was later hanged in Thomaston, Maine despite maintaining his innocence through the trial and sentencing.
In 2008, archeological investigations began in earnest on the island and researchers have since discovered that the earliest inhabitants on the island were some 6,000 years ago, much earlier than previously thought. There is also a US Fish and Wildlife Service conservation easement in place to protect some bird species, especially during nesting season. The island today is sparsely developed with just 2 historic cottages and a graveyard.
Duck Island
Before we hop across state lines, let's take a quick look at the Shoals' northernmost island: Duck Island. The 8.5 acre island is uninhabited (except by migratory birds) and very rocky. In the 1950s and 60s, the US military actually used the island for bombing practice. (!)
Bombers from Pease Air Force Base in Portsmouth, New Hampshire would fly over the island and drop bombs to test the release mechanisms and accuracy. The last bombs were dropped in 1967, and the island changed ownership a few times before becoming part of the Maine Coastal Islands National Wildlife Refuge within the Department of the Interior.
The island is off-limits to visitors year-round not only because it is now a protected wildlife refuge, but also because of potential undetonated bombs still on and around the island. Today, it is often covered with migratory birds and sunbathing seals.
Star Island
If you visit the Shoals today, you're likely going to Star Island. A ferry runs through the summer months from Portsmouth and you can take a day trip or overnight trip. The largest structure on the island is the Oceanic Hotel, which opened in the 1800s and is still in operation today. It is one of the few remaining Victorian Era grand hotels in New England. During the Grand Hotel Era notable artists and authors like Nathanial Hawthorne frequented the resort.
Long before that, the legend goes that Captain Kidd actually buried some of his treasure somewhere on Star Island. If it has ever been found, the lucky person kept the news to themselves.
The Star Corporation purchased the island in 1915 and has hosted regular summer retreats and conferences on the island since. In known history, the island has only been closed to visitors three times: during World War I, World Ward II, and the summer of 2020 during Covid.
I highly recommend visiting for a day sometime in the summer. You can explore the island and its trails and also see the many historic structures that still dot the landscape.
There are a few memorable structures on Star Island in addition to the obvious Oceanic Hotel. Gosport Chapel was named for a community on the island until 1876. It's unclear when the original chapel was built, but it's said that during a particularly rough winter in 1790, the locals burned the chapel for fuel. Star Island was and still is largely without any trees. Missionaries then rebuilt the chapel in stone in 1800.
The chapel is still used today for evening services. It remains largely unchanged from its 1900 appearance other than an updated roof and painted steeple.
Not far from the chapel is something a little unexpected: an obelisk. Obelisks were originally created by the Egyptians to mark tombs or entrances to temples. The one on Star Island is known as Tucke Monument and marks the grave of Rev. John Tucke. He was not only a minister but also a judge, educator, and physician on the island. At 46.5 feet tall, it is the largest grave marker in the state of New Hampshire. Although Tucke died in 1773, the monument was erected in 1914. A 68-page book memorializes the ceremony of the marker dedication.
White Island & Lighthouse
We have finally arrived at White Island and the lighthouse! If you're still here, I appreciate your perseverance.
White and Seavey Islands are actually one mass of chiseled rock, however the low tide separates them twice a day hence why they are considered two separate islands. These southernmost islands have a combined area of 13 acres. The mass of rock was the location of at least a rudimentary light station as early as 1790, and probably consisted of a lantern or series of lanterns.
Today, White Island is one of the more well-known Isles of Shoals because of the massive 58-foot lighthouse that proudly stands there today. It's sort of hard to miss. The original lighthouse was constructed in 1820, and was a simple stone tower wrapped in wood shingles. The keeper's cottage was connected via a covered wooden walkway.
Less than two decades later, Captain Henry D. Hunter was inspecting the lighthouse and noted: "The [lantern] is old and wants a new one. The whole establishment is dirty and in bad order." It still took a few more decades before this could come to fruition. The lighthouse was rebuilt into what it is today at its 58-foot height in 1859. This time in brick and granite block. With its position on the rocky island, the light rises 85 feet above sea level and was also meant to fortify the coast in addition to aiding navigation.
Interestingly, the Coast Guard did not fully remove the original lighthouse but rather kept the lower portion intact capped with a roof. This was likely to save them from having to alter the original covered walkway connected to the keeper's house. The result is a short octagonal room that almost acts like an antechamber to the new lighthouse.
Thomas Laighton, mentioned earlier, was keeper for a time and his daughter Celia Thaxter went on to be one of the foremothers of American nature writing. She grew up on White Island and later Appledore. To get a sense of what life was like in the 19th century on the Isles, her writing paints a very vivid picture. Shipwrecks, storms, isolation but also the abundant wildlife and natural beauty of the Isles. Celia is probably the most famous resident of the Isles of Shoals.
White Island with its towering lighthouse, boat house, keepers house, and other buildings certainly makes quite a picturesque scene. A new keeper's house was built alongside the original one in 1878. It was later removed by the Coast Guard in the 1950s. Through the years the keepers saved many lives of island visitors who capsized their boats on the shoals and also fisherman and shipping boats. Even with the lighthouse, the waters around the island are very treacherous. James Burke, keeper 1894 to 1912, once helped 16 women all at once who had capsized their boat.
Burke had quite a reputation while he was keeper and took his role very seriously. In 1911, his assistant was away and both Burke and his wife fell very ill with pneumonia. Despite this, Burke kept the light burning every night for 6 days and at one point had to crawl up the walkway to reach the lantern. Burke's signals for help were never answered so he persevered until his assistant returned.
The wooden walkway connecting the light to the keeper's quarters miraculously survived from 1850 to 1991, when Hurricane Bob ripped it and the old fog signal tower away. In 2007 the walkway was swept away again and replaced in a $200,000 restoration project with FEMA funds in 2011.
White Island Lighthouse was and still is the only offshore lighthouse in New Hampshire. It was automated in 1986 and is still an active aid to navigation. Today, the island is owned by the New Hampshire State Park system and thereby accessible to the public by boat. You'll have to get yourself there though since the ferry does not stop there.
A major renovation in 2005 replaced more than 1,000 bricks on the lighthouse and the tower was strengthened by steel ties and a protective layer of stucco. Lighthouse Kids, a non-profit affiliate of the American Lighthouse Foundation, actively works to protect and restore White Island Light. The initiative has been around for decades and includes kids from mainland New Hampshire elementary, middle, and high school students.
Isles of Shoals Collectively
Interestingly, the State of Maine nominated their 5 islands to the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. The nomination did not include the 4 on the New Hampshire side. The historic district not only includes the island and ledges, but also some of the surrounding waters because of suspected shipwreck sites. The New Hampshire side is still not designated as a district to this day. White Island Light is listed independently.
Needless to say based on my exuberance in this very long blog...I highly recommend visiting the Isles of Shoals. You won't regret it.
Sources:
Blunt, Edmund M, William Hooker, and E. & G.W. Blunt. Isles of Shoals. New York: E. & G.W. Blunt, 1837. Map. https://www.loc.gov/item/80690689/.
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