Port Clyde has a long tradition as an artist’s retreat. Andrew Wyeth had a studio here, and his son Jaime not far away. The picturesque harbor and the light at Marshall Point still serve as a classroom for art workshops. The 31 foot tower of bricks with a granite base was built in 1823 and refurbished in 1857 and fitted with a fifth-order fresnel. The light was automated in 1981, and at that time a 300mm plastic optic replaced the fresnel. The gambrel-roofed keeper’s house is now the site of a museum. Marshall Point is an exceptionally photogenic lighthouse, and it attracts many photography workshops. It is not uncommon for the artists with their easels and the photographers with their tripods to be scattered around the grounds. In fact, the photo above was taken while jockying with a dozen other tripods for a prime spot.
Port Clyde is a charming Maine coastal village with few tourist trappings. It is also the departure point for the ferry to Monhegan Island. At the Ocean House you'll find rooms with no locks, a fine dining room, and a gracious innkeeper.
A fine art print of this lighthouse is available for purchase.
