"Dyce's Head Light - Castine, Maine" F37

"Dyce's Head Light - Castine, Maine" F37

"Dyce's Head Light - Castine, Maine" F37 View of light tower and buildings. Lighthouse Dyce's Head Light - 1829 - Castine, Maine F37 The conical rubblestone Dice Head lighthouse stands 129 feet above the water at the southern tip of the Castine peninsula. The light station, five miles from Fort Point light, was established in1829 as an aid to navigation for vessels approaching the mouth of the Penobscot River. The first keeper was Jacob Shelburne, a former sea captain. When he requested a salary increase in 1831, the Collector replied, "…the Light is on the main land near a very respectable village…I should think that all those islands better entitled to an increase of salary than the one at Dice Head." The tower and keeper's house were enlarged and improved in 1858 as commercial traffic in the area was increasing. The fog bell, installed in 1890, was initially rung by hand in response to passing vessels. Maritime traffic had diminished significantly when the light was discontinued in 1935 and replaced by a skeleton tower closer to the shore. The Town of Castine now owns the property. The grounds are open to the public.