The first bridge crossing of the Passagassawakeag River in Belfast was opened in 1806 and was constructed of wood. In 1921, the Memorial Bridge allowed north and south bound travelers to enter the heart of Belfast Maine. In 1963 the newly constructed Veterans Memorial Bridge was routed around Belfast at an elevation of nearly 100 feet over the river and whether heading north or south on Atlantic Highway, travelers had a grand view of the Belfast water front.
When traveling south, a gaze to the east delivers an abundance of docked and moored vessels, the Front Street Ship Yard and views of various water front buildings that provide needed meals, supplies and goods to those who live here or to the travelers that make Belfast their destination.
When traveling north, leaving the city, one will have the ability to gaze out into the Bay one last time and see the abandoned light known as Steele’s Ledge.
The original 1921 Memorial Bridge is now the Belfast Armistice Bridge, also known as The Footbridge, restored in 2006, allows pedestrians to walk over the river and see the waterfront, the beautiful sunrises, and Steele’s ledge keeping watch over all of this.
When I first saw this odd triangular structure, I was curious to what it was and why it did not call out to me as a boat or ship or prominent well known landmark. As I walked The Footbridge and entered the city, I asked people what it was and most if not all had no idea. It would take some research on the Internet to discover it was an abandoned navigational light and that now, a moored buoy marks the hazardous outcrop called Steele’s Ledge.
As I learned more about the history and how it was a functional and working light and that the granite structure is still very much intact, I imagined to see it lighting up the harbor once again.
Once restored, travelers would be gifted with its light and if curious, would be able learn of its legacy and of John Steele, a resident of Belfast who had initiated its construction to aid passage of ships in and out of the harbor.
The new light would also provide the city with a tourist attraction which could be seasonly lit with different colors. A small deck and dock could be built around it, so boaters could approach, land and dock and have a lunch or just rest and take in the beauty of Belfast Maine.
As climate change becomes more prominent and a life altering situation, Steele’s Ledge could also be instrumented with wind, temperature and tide level sensors, all of these instruments and the light itself powered by wind, solar or tidal electricity.
The Belfast Bay Beacon would light the bay and give hope and courage for journeys forward whatever they may be, helping and doing, making the community and the world a better place for all.
The featured image for this post is that of the winter solstice as viewed from The Footbridge. The image was modified with an artist’s rendition of a light that could be built on Steele’s Ledge.
Part of this project will be to have the community decide on what the light should look like, old or new, modern or traditional. The image of the light was taken from this architectural website as a place holder for the start of this research.
Andrea Cimini’s Light House Design
Let us all involve our minds and ideas and bring back the light to the City of Belfast.
Featured Image – Winter Solstice December 21, 2021
Belfast Bay Beacon 