Samuel Burgess

Added by E. Nickerson- Historical Information: •Lighthouse is best known for the heroics of Abbie Burgess who, as a teenager, saved her mother and younger sisters during a storm by moving them into the lighthouse. While her father was kept away by the storm, she tended the light and kept it burning for the duration.  •1827 – Twin wooden towers built.  •1846 – Wooden towers replaced by granite towers and granite keeper’s house built.  •1855 – Fog bell installed.  •1856 – Keeper’s house washed away during storm, family saved by Abbie Burgess.  •1857 – The towers were refurbished and fitted with third order Fresnel Lenses.  •1869 – Daboll trumpet replaced fog bell.  •1883 – North tower discontinued, Daboll trumpet fog signal swept off the rocks by waves.  •1888 – North light tower was re-established.  •1924 – North light extinguished for good. Government changed the station to a single tower.  •1950 – Stations outbuildings and keeper’s house removed following a violent storm.  •1983 – Lighthouse automated.

Keepers: •John A. Shaw (1827-1831) •Phineas Spear (1831-1834) •Abner Knowles (c. 1836) •Samuel Abbott (1839-184?) •William Young (184?-1853) •Samuel Burgess (1853-1861) •John H. Grant (1861-1890) •William G. Grant (first assistant keeper, then keeper 1875-1900) •Isaac Grant (first assistant keeper, 1861-1875) •Abbie Burgess Grant (second assistant keeper, 1861-1875) •John F. Grant (second assistant keeper, 1876-1887) •Knott C. Perry (third assistant keeper, 1877-1881) •Jacob T. Abbott (third assistant keeper, 1881-1886) •Jarvis H. Grant (second assistant keeper, 1887-1888) •William F. Stanley (second assistant keeper, 1888-1891) •Thad Wallace (third assistant keeper, 1888-1891) •Aldiverd Norton (third assistant keeper, 1890-1897) •Llewell Norwood (third assistant keeper, 1891-1895) •Fred Hodgkins (third assistant keeper, 1892) •George A. Lewis (third assistant keeper, 1892-1898) •James E. Hall (third assistant keeper, later first assistant, then keeper, 1896-1908) •Merton Tolman (third assistant keeper, later keeper, 1900-1911) •Charles Burgess (third assistant keeper, later second assistant, then first assistant, 1897-1900) •Elmer Holbrook (third assistant keeper, later second assistant keeper, 1898-1908) •Charles Dyer, third assistant keeper, later second assistant, then first assistant, then keeper (1905-1916) •Harold Hutchins, third assistant keeper, later second assistant, then first assistant (1909-1912) •Arthur Mitchell, third assistant keeper, then second assistant, then keeper (1912-1919) •George Studley, third assistant keeper (1912) •J. H. Upton, second assistant keeper (1912) •Arthur J. Beal (second assistant, then first assistant 1919-1929) •Frank O. Hilt (1919-c.1933) •Alvah Robinson (assistant ?-1935, keeper 1935-1936) •R. W. Powers (c. 1933) •Roscoe Fletcher (1936-1945)

Researched and written by Marie Vincent, a volunteer through the Chesapeake Chapter of the U.S. Lighthouse Society. /ECN/