For Friends of Acadia, this year’s Paddle Raise is a meaningful return to the organization’s earliest roots.
In 1989, Friends of Acadia’s first major project was helping restore Bear Island Lighthouse, a beloved landmark at the entrance to Somes Sound. That early effort helped define what Friends of Acadia could be: a partner to Acadia National Park, a convener of people who care deeply about this place, and a force for protecting the park’s historic, cultural, and natural resources.

Help us continue to light the way forward. Join us in helping restore the Baker Island Lighthouse.

Visitors walk around the Baker Island Lighthouse. (Photo by Lily LaRegina/Friends of Acadia)

For nearly two centuries, the Baker Island Lighthouse has stood watch at the southwestern entrance to Frenchman Bay, guiding mariners past the shallow shoals of the Cranberry Islands. Established in 1828 on Baker Island, one of the five Cranberry Islands off Mount Desert Island, the Baker Island Lighthouse was the first light station in Frenchman Bay, and its history is inseparable from the story of Maine’s maritime heritage and the people who once made this remote island their home.

A few decades earlier, William and Hannah Gilley, along with their three children, moved from Mount Desert Island to Baker Island around 1806–1812. William likely fished seasonally from the island in previous years, as did the Abenaki before him. The small Gilley family cleared fields, built homes, and lived year-round on Baker Island. When the lighthouse was built, William was appointed as its first keeper. The Gilleys would eventually have 12 children, some of whom left the island and others who chose to stay. Descendants of the Gilley family lived on Baker Island for 123 years.

The original light tower was replaced by a 13-meter-high white brick lighthouse in 1855, and the light was automated in 1966.

The view from the tower of Baker Island Lighthouse, looking west/northwest toward Islesford in the foreground and Mount Desert Island in background. (Rhiannon Johnston/Friends of Acadia)

Today, the brick lighthouse tower, keeper’s house, and surrounding historic features remain a rare and powerful reminder of that past — one that visitors to Acadia National Park can still experience firsthand.
Yet this treasured landmark is in a race against time. Exposed to harsh marine conditions and difficult to access for repairs, the lighthouse tower is suffering from significant deterioration. A comprehensive assessment by the National Park Service revealed cracking masonry, crumbling surface material, and failing paint that threaten both the historic structure and visitor safety if left unaddressed.

The lighthouse currently faces several maintenance challenges, including deteriorating lead paint, broken windows and stairs, rusted railings, and other needed repairs. (Julia Walker Thomas/Friends of Acadia)

The Baker Island Light tower and keeper’s house. (Rhiannon Johnston/Friends of Acadia)

Thanks to sustained stewardship, meaningful progress has already been made. Brush clearing restored historic views of the lighthouse, the oil house roof was replaced, asbestos was removed, and the keeper’s and Gilley houses were stabilized. The National Park Service has also secured funding for lead paint remediation — clearing the way for the next critical step.

The most urgent need now is the expert rehabilitation of the lighthouse tower itself. This work will include specialized masonry repairs, restoration of historic window openings and ventilation, and essential safety improvements — all performed according to the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Historic Preservation. Stabilizing the tower now will protect irreplaceable 19th-century craftsmanship and ensure the lighthouse remains.

By supporting the Baker Island Lighthouse Paddle Raise, you help safeguard an iconic beacon of Acadia’s maritime landscape — ensuring that future generations can continue to approach this island and see the light that has guided sailors, and stories, home for nearly 200 years.

Meribeth Kambitsch, Acadia National Park interpretive ranger and language interpreter, talks about the history of the Baker Island lighthouse during a tour in 2022. Ranger-led tours to Baker Island are not available for the 2026 season. (Photo by Lily LaRegina/Friends of Acadia)

Baker Island sits just beyond the coastlines of Acadia National Park as seen from the sky on a flight over Mount Desert Island and surrounding areas. (Sam Mallon/Friends of Acadia)