America’s first years
have a historic connection with West Quoddy Head, Lubec,
Maine and the United States Coast Guard. President George
Washington organized the Revenue Cutter Service on August 4,
1790, commissioning Hopley Yeaton as its first officer. Yeaton,
America’s first commissioned Naval officer, is the father of today’s
United States Coast Guard. The Revenue Cutter Service merged with the
U.S. Lifesaving Service in 1915 to create the United States Coast
Guard.
In 1792,Yeaton was given command of the new
Revenue Service Frigate “SCAMMEL” . After a few cruises, he
astutely realized that Lubec was an active smuggling area. Early in his
new career, Captain Yeaton moved to Eastport, soon purchasing land in
North Lubec on North Lubec Road.
Primarily concerned with smuggling and tax
collection, Yeaton was also actively involved with maritime safety. In
1806 Captain Yeaton petitioned President Thomas Jefferson in 1806 to
establish West Quoddy Light. The beacon still operates and is one
of America’s first and most famous lighthouses. Captain Yeaton retired
to his North Lubec farm and was buried there with his wife, Comfort
Marshall Yeaton.
A Mainer, Sumner Kimball was born in 1834
and entered Bowdoin College at16. Active in politics, he was appointed
to the Treasury Department by President Abraham Lincoln at the beginning
of the Civil War. In 1871, he became head of all government Life-Saving
Stations. Realizing that more functional architecture was needed,
Kimball overlooked the design and construction of twenty-five
“1874–Type” Lifesaving Stations. The USLSS, with Kimball as
General Superintendent, was officially established in 1878.
One of the 1st classic
1874 Type Stations, Quoddy Head Life-Saving Station, was
constructed during 1873-4 at Carrying Place Cove. Combining
elements of Carpenter Gothic and Stick architectural styles, this
Station housed surfmen and equipment well into the 20th
century. The Station was located 1.5 miles west of West Quoddy Head
Light overlooking Grand Manan, New Brunswick.
The Carrying Place Cove site enabled surfmen to
look for shipwrecks on both the Atlantic coast to the south, and, in the
north, Lubec Narrows, overlooking Campobello, New Brunswick. The
Station’s distinct disadvantage was the necessity of hauling the
surfboat over the dunes when a ship was in distress in the Lubec
Narrows, particularly in the winter or when the 20’ tide was low,
exposing acres of clamflats. In addition, the Lifesaving Station’s low
elevation [about +10’-12’] was problematic for lookouts.
In 1888, the Treasury Department purchased land
for a future station site. This parcel was located about 0.75 miles from
the West Quoddy Light on both sides of the road. The land on the north
side (10 or so acres) included 5 acres on a flat knoll at an elevation
of +100, for a new station. The 5 remaining acres dipped to the north
where a boathouse would be built on the Bay. Property on the south side
of the road included Quoddy Head’s highest peak, the best location for a
planned lookout tower with a 360°
of West Quoddy Head, the United States and Canada. Work commenced on the
new Quoddy Head Station at its present site in 1917. Truly
the 1st Life-saving Station, its official identity was Station 1 in
District 1, built under directives of the newly formed 1915 U.S.Coast
Guard.
Quoddy Head is a Chatham Style station. In 1917,
a enclosed, manned lookout was built on the peak and a small outbuilding
was built [c1918] adjacent to the main Station. Later damaged by a fire,
this outbuilding was immediately rebuilt, utilizing some burnt timbers
in a different roof style.
The old Carrying Place Cove Life-saving Station
was destroyed by fire around 1928. In 1931, the US Light House
Service [USLHS] merged with the Coast Guard to complete our modern
Coast Guard organization. In the early 30’s a new, large boathouse was
constructed overlooking the Lubec Narrows. It featured 3 large bays
serviced by a 200’ marine railway with an engine driven winch..
Finally, a large cement block maintenance building was constructed
adjacent to the west side of the Station about 1950.
The Coast Guard
abandoned the Quoddy Station in 1971. The stewardship of the real
estate came under the auspices of the General Service Administration. At
this time, the Boatbuilding School of Eastport’s Washington County
Technical College successfully petitioned for use of the Station. In
1981, the Boatbuilding School returned to larger facilities in
Eastport.. The Station was then appropriated by Marine Mammal Rescue
group. This organization abandoned it in the early 1990s. 10 acres and
4 buildings were acquired out of bankruptcy in the late 90’s. In May of
2000, the Station and 2 outbuildings on 5 acres were purchased.
Restoration was completed in 2003.
In 1975 Hopley Yeaton
was exhumed from his North Lubec farm in a Coast Guard ceremony. His
remains were removed overnight to the Quoddy Head Station with an Honor
Guard. The USCG Barque “EAGLE” carried him from Lubec, Maine to
the Coast Guard academy at New London, Connecticut. In May of 1976,
Captain Yeaton, the “Father of the United States Coast Guard,” was
re-interred with full honors in a crypt on a plaza in front of the
Academy Chapel.
Captain Yeatons’ wife, Comfort Marshall Yeaton, still lies in the North
Lubec farm cemetery alongside other family members. Sumner Kimball is
buried in Augusta.
