United Baptist Church of Ellsworth

I love watching sails slip by this old lighthouse and can easily romanticize its many stories as it sits on Mark island within rowing distance of Winter Harbor, Maine. Sadly, it is now a privately owned landmark and is no longer an active beacon warning, guiding or welcoming weary sailors and fishermen seeking safe harbor or home.

Stonington’s visitors and residents will recognize this familiar scene on its working waterfront. Curiously, this shed like building which has weathered high winds and vicious storms for years appears to be sitting partially on rugged shore rock and partly on a wharf held up by stilts.

We think of beauty as a quality of someone or something that visually pleases us. Whether or not beauty is intrinsic to something, the saying “beauty is in the eye of the beholder” implies that beauty is subject to personal aesthetics, appreciations, preferences or interests. That allows certain intangibles such as music or a person’s character to be considered “beautiful.”

This old, deserted place appears to have deteriorated beyond repair. Full restoration might be possible but would require the knowledge and skills of a devoted, courageous, visionary craftsman with deep pockets and much patience. There is little hope that will happen.

A Maine “dooryard” is often the source of surprises and treasures! Scrap lumber? Junk cars? Old buggies? Clotheslines? Free ranging chickens? Weeds? Goats? Playgrounds? Cast off toilets? Whirligigs? Beautiful lilacs? Callous chaos? A lovely, sculpted lawn? Or some combination with a dog or two thrown in!