It's Bill, 7/20/25: To Build a Lighthouse

Desmond Haskell
Jul 23
2 min read

The “No More Building” Lie

After completing The Crow’s Nest and Captain’s Table in January 2023, I made my iconic post-build statement: “No more building,” continuing a tradition of 10 previous buildings with that same declaration. By fall of 2023, I had a concept. A lighthouse. My own West Quoddy Head lighthouse. It had to be traditional and something I could build. I started drawing plans on Sundays in late 2023.

Hand-Sketched Visions and Better Lines

I enjoy drawing my own plans. I might even be fairly good at it by now. Over the years, I used scraps of paper, envelopes—anything. After waving my arms, I sketched something when John Cox asked for basic details while building. Now, I actually take a clean sheet of paper or two, use a ruler, and draw straight lines to scale. Admittedly, it works much better, but we still change details in the process.

A Lighthouse Without a Sea View?

Perhaps, most importantly, I had to build on my best remaining lot. It obviously had to be out by South Lubec Road, parallel to The Meetinghouse, and a quarter mile from the ocean—with basically no sea view. Before its birth, we named it “Clark’s Folly Lighthouse” due to its roadside location, with some disparaging comments from friends and family. CFL now sets nicely as described.

Designing the Tower—Eventually

The primary requirement for a lighthouse is a light tower. Knowing that, we left that key detail for last. After changing several times, we waved our arms and found a scrap envelope. We scratched a light tower out—beaming, like a light tower should. The building itself was traditional: two stories plus an ell. The tower was to have a bedroom on each floor plus a long staircase for second-floor access. Each bedroom was to have a full bathroom. The ell had a kitchen/dining/living room with a small bedroom at the end. The utility room, for radiant heat and more, was behind the kitchen.

Builders frame the wooden walls of the lighthouse interior while one man works on a scaffold and another observes. — Walls rise in winter—framing the lighthouse through cold mornings and determined hands.

Concrete and Commitment

In April 2024, I approached my bank. My banker had retired—now a younger banker from Lubec. Approved. In June, the well was drilled. During June, site work by Allan ran underground lines and prepared the site for radiant heat. On August 7, 2024, ‘elephant’ cement mixers discharged concrete from their trunks, perfectly formed by Dale’s crew. We heart-scratched our dated initials for posterity.

Handwritten initials and a heart etched into the edge of a drying concrete slab. — Etched in time—initials and hearts mark the foundation’s edge, immortalizing the start of Clark’s Folly Lighthouse.

From Frozen Fingers to a Finished Folly

Promised time passes now: August, September, October. We start construction in November. Fine crew works with winter weather—just cold and windy. Time passes. Work is first-class. Almost finished in April, May. June gets it done. Going online June 31, Clark’s Folly Lighthouse is rented in the first hour.