Hendricks Head Light

The Lighthouse and the Baby in the Storm

Hendricks Head Light stands on the western shore of Southport Island, marking the mouth of the Sheepscot River where it meets the open waters of the Atlantic. The light was established in 1829 to guide the heavy vessel traffic heading upriver to the shipbuilding yards at Wiscasset Harbor. Its first keeper, John Upham, lit the tower’s lamps on December 1, 1829.

The original structure was a granite dwelling with a wooden octagonal tower protruding from one end of its pitched roof. By 1875, that arrangement had deteriorated beyond practical repair, and the Lighthouse Board erected the current 39-foot brick tower alongside a new wooden keeper’s house. The light sits 43 feet above sea level and has guided mariners through the tricky Sheepscot River entrance for nearly two centuries.

But Hendricks Head is best known for a story that may or may not be entirely true. During a fierce March blizzard in 1875, a sailing vessel wrecked on the ledges near the lighthouse. Keeper Jaruel Marr watched helplessly as the ship broke apart in the storm. He could do nothing for the crew in those seas. But as the wreckage floated toward shore, Marr spotted a large bundle in the waves. He waded into the icy surf and hauled it in. Inside two feather mattresses tied together, he found a box containing a crying baby girl, wrapped in blankets with a locket and a note from the mother pleading that someone save her child.

The baby survived. She was later named Seaborn and was reportedly adopted by a doctor and his wife who were summer residents of the area. Descendants of Keeper Marr have maintained that the story is true, while historians have debated the details for over a century. A novel called “Uncle Terry,” published around 1900, popularized a fictionalized version of the tale. Whether every detail is accurate or embellished, the story of the baby at Hendricks Head has become one of the most enduring legends of the Maine coast.

What to See

Hendricks Head Light is privately owned and the grounds are not open to the public. The lighthouse and keeper’s house serve as a private summer residence. Visitors cannot approach the tower or walk the property.

However, the lighthouse is clearly visible from West Southport Beach, a small public beach at the end of Beach Road on Southport Island. The beach faces the lighthouse across a stretch of rocky shoreline, and the white tower and keeper’s house are easy to spot. Binoculars or a telephoto lens will bring the details into sharp focus. The beach itself is a pleasant spot, with sand and cobblestones, tidal pools at low tide, and views across the Sheepscot River.

From the water, the lighthouse is visible on boat cruises departing from Boothbay Harbor. The Maine Maritime Museum in Bath and Cap’n Fish’s Cruises from Boothbay Harbor both run trips that pass Hendricks Head as part of their lighthouse or coastal tours. Seeing the lighthouse from the water gives you a perspective the keeper would have recognized, with the tower rising above the rocky shoreline and the river stretching behind it.

The Sheepscot River Setting

The Sheepscot River was once one of the busiest waterways in Maine. Wiscasset, at the head of navigation, was a major shipbuilding center and the shire town of Lincoln County. Schooners carrying lumber, ice, and goods passed Hendricks Head daily. The lighthouse was essential infrastructure for a river that was an economic lifeline.

Today the Sheepscot is quieter, used mostly by lobstermen, pleasure boaters, and kayakers. But the river remains one of the most scenic on the Maine coast, winding between Southport Island and the mainland through a landscape of spruce-covered points, rocky ledges, and tidal coves. Hendricks Head Light, at the river’s mouth, frames the entrance to this world.

The lighthouse was deactivated in 1933 when the Coast Guard deemed it no longer essential. It sat dark for nearly two decades before being relit in 1951 as a private aid to navigation. Today the light is maintained by the owners and remains active, a white flash visible to anyone entering the Sheepscot from the south.

When to Go

Photography Tips

From West Southport Beach, the lighthouse is best photographed in the morning when the eastern light falls directly on the tower’s west-facing side. A 200mm or longer lens is helpful for filling the frame. The beach in the foreground, with its cobblestones and seaweed, adds texture to wider compositions.

From a boat, the afternoon light illuminates the tower’s ocean-facing side. If you are on a cruise that passes Hendricks Head, position yourself on the starboard (right) side of the vessel as it approaches from the south.

What’s Nearby

Southport Island is connected to the mainland by a swing bridge on Route 27, just south of Boothbay Harbor. The island has a quiet, residential character with a few small shops and the Southport General Store. Boothbay Harbor, a classic Maine harbor village with restaurants, galleries, boat tours, and shops, is about a 10-minute drive across the bridge.

Other lighthouses in the area include Burnt Island (accessible by boat from Boothbay Harbor), Pemaquid Point (about 30 minutes south), and Ram Island (visible from boat tours). The Boothbay region is one of the best areas in Maine for lighthouse enthusiasts, with four lighthouses within easy reach.

Getting There

From Route 1 in Wiscasset, take Route 27 south through Boothbay Harbor and across the swing bridge onto Southport Island. Continue on Route 27 for about 2 miles, then turn right onto Beach Road. Follow Beach Road to its end at West Southport Beach. The lighthouse is visible from the beach. From Portland, the drive takes about 80 minutes. From Boothbay Harbor village, it is about 10 minutes.

There is no formal parking lot. A few vehicles can park along Beach Road near the beach access. Do not block driveways or private property.

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