Meet the next generation of Maine lighthouse keepers
Meet the next generation of Maine lighthouse keepers, including two modern stewards tasked with maintaining storied coastal sites. Sara Thomas, 30, of Nashville and her neighbor Savannah Coursey, 31, are serving as lighthouse keepers this season at Seguin Island Light Station. The article says they balance practical upkeep with quieter life on the island, while noting that automation ended traditional light-keeping roles without making the caretaker position obsolete. Over the past month, the Portland Press Herald visited three light stations—Seguin Island, Goat Island and Nubble Light—to document the keepers’ experiences during summer. Seguin Island’s light uses a first-order Fresnel lens installed in 1857, with the light positioned 186 feet above sea level and visible more than 20 miles away. The Friends of Seguin Island Light Station recruits volunteer duos to live on the island from May 31 through Labor Day.






