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A trip to the Burnt Island Light Station in Boothbay Harbor, Maine is like a trip back in time. The year 1950 is resurrected with Keeper Joseph Muise and his family in charge of the station. They welcome visitors to their island home, but Keeper Muise is strict about having people abide by the government rules and regulations. His wife Annie and daughters Adele, Prudy, and Ann are delighted to have company. It’s a break from the monotony of daily life at this island location as their trips to the mainland are few and far between. They are eager to show visitors around, including a tour through their home and a climb into the lighthouse. Down at the boathouse, son Willard is unloading supplies from the peapod. He shares his feelings of displeasure having resided on five other island stations including Mt. Desert Rock, a remote outpost 25 miles out to sea.
So, what’s really happening on this island off the coast of Boothbay Harbor, Maine? The Department of Marine Resources (DMR) acquired the Burnt Island Light Station in 1998 as part of the Maine Lights Program. Since then, they have restored the buildings, provided public access, developed a curriculum for schools, offered teachers recertification courses, and, most recently opened a program for summer visitors. The “living” lighthouse tour is rich in human, historical, and environmental detail. The light station’s beautifully restored buildings serve as a “living” history museum where interpreters in period clothing portray the Muise family. A natural history walk around the island’s perimeter trail follows, where the children point out the flora and fauna indigenous to Maine’s coast, as well as the geological features and legends of this picturesque island. Summer visitors rave about the fabulous experience calling it a “National Treasure.” Many participants compare the program favorably to other historic programs with some remarking that it is better than Colonial Williamsburg.
The Burnt Island Living Lighthouse program is the brainchild of Elaine Jones, Education Director for the Department of Marine Resources. A native of Maine, Jones grew up enjoying the wonders of the marine environment, but had never taken an interest in history until Burnt Island came into her life. The task of locating government records and former keepers was not an easy one. She was determined to acquire accurate information to be used in the restoration effort as well as the educational program. Those pieces to the puzzle were spread far and wide across this nation, but her enthusiasm drew people who were willing to help. As a result, countless documents, architectural drawings, and photographs were acquired, plus oral histories were recorded from fourteen former keepers and the families of six others.
Today on Burnt Island, the living history program entertains the public as it teaches about the life and times of the station. But, why did the DMR choose 1950 as the target date? The U.S. Coast Guard had conducted a site survey in 1950 and photographed the interior and exterior of the keeper’s dwelling. This documentation provided the necessary detail for restoration. The Muises were responsible for the light at that time making them the ideal family to portray. Joseph’s family consisted of his wife Annie, son Willard, and daughters Madeline, Adele, Prudence, and Ann. In 1999, four of his children returned to tell their story and reminisce about their childhood, having been away for almost fifty years. The children of Joseph Muise are so proud that their stories of joy, sorrow, dedication, hardship, and endurance are being shared with the public. They assisted in redecorating their old home by donating numerous items back to Burnt Island including: the dining room table and chairs, dad’s shaving mug, mama’s apron, their paper dolls, and more.
Balmy Days Cruises operates the Novelty from Pier 8, which water taxis guests twice a day, leaving at 10 AM and 12:45 PM. When you arrive for the three-hour tour, you settle down for a few minutes in the rustic amphitheatre under the birch trees for an introduction to the program. The transition back to 1950 takes place here with the news of the day reported as a way to set the stage. Then you’re ready to relive history by following the wood-chipped path towards the historic buildings. The girls break away from their game of croquet, and Prudy leads a small group up to Dad at the lighthouse, while Adele escorts others to the house where Mama is performing her daily chores. Willard has just arrived with some supplies for the family and is willing to show visitors the boathouse, while little sister Ann is anxious to share her childhood experiences of growing up on the island.
The gentleman in uniform at the base of the lighthouse “wows” the crowd not only by his stately appearance but also by his knowledge. His real name is James Buotte, a true former keeper of the Burnt Island Light (1955-58), but today he is portraying Joseph Muise. He shows you all of the gold insignias on his dark suit and hat, before describing all of his duties and responsibilities as the keeper. The station is without electricity so each day he must carry the kerosene from the oil-house to the lantern room. He is very particular about keeping things neat and clean, and you best not leave your fingerprints on the brass lamp that he was polishing when you arrived. Keeper Muise takes his job seriously by maintaining a good light each night so that the mariner can return safely to harbor. When the fog rolls in, he is always ready to start the bell, an apparatus that requires his attention every four hours.
If it’s Monday, wife Annie will be outside the kitchen door doing the laundry in her twin galvanized tubs equipped with hand wringer. Jean McKay, a teacher who came out of retirement to serve in this capacity, portrays Annie Muise. As the keeper’s wife, she not only performs all the household chores but also assumes the role of Assistant Keeper when Joseph goes to the mainland to get the mail and supplies. She invites you into her home and is anxious to show off her shiny black Queen Atlantic cook stove with its chrome trim. Yes, that’s a hand pump at the sink, and those are S&H Green Stamps in the jar on the linoleum countertop. Life is challenging for Annie as she carries out her duties without electricity or refrigeration. She keeps the family well fed and the place spotless, never knowing when the inspector will arrive.
After the “living” history component, the children are eager to take visitors on a hike around the five-acre island. They point out Burnt Island’s flora and fauna, as well as the geological features, which includes two huge erratics. On the hike, visitors also learn about Maine’s fisheries and legendary accounts of the region. During the final segment of the three-hour tour, visitors climb the winding stairs into the lantern room; view the historic photographs and documents in the covered walkway museum; sport fish off the rocks; or picnic by the waterfront.
Plan a trip to the Boothbay Region this July or August and visit the Department of Marine Resources’ newest educational facility; the Burnt Island Living Lighthouse. This interpretive program helps to preserve and promote Maine’s cultural heritage, while providing enrichment and opportunity for its participants.
This story appeared in the
June 2004 edition of Lighthouse Digest Magazine. The print edition contains more stories than our internet edition, and each story generally contains more photographs - often many more - in the print edition. For subscription information about the print edition, click here.
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