In Memoriam
We mourn the loss of Tim Harrison in 2023 and recognize his immense contributions to the preservation of Maine’s iconic lighthouses and sharing the stories of their keepers.
Tim’s passion and dedication to lighthouse preservation was incomparable and unending. He researched and wrote books, gave talks, founded nonprofits, started a magazine, lobbied for legislation, and found interesting ways to fundraise.
Tim was a co-founder of the Rockland-based American Lighthouse Foundation and served as its first president. During his tenure, Tim is credited with fundraising over $1 million in support of historic lighthouses. The ALF and its chapters steward lighthouses in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Maine, and are joined by affiliate organization from across the country in working to save and preserve the nation’s historic light stations and their rich heritage.
Tim also founded the Museum of Lighthouse History in Wells, which collected, interpreted, and shared the life and experiences of lighthouse keepers and their families. He recognized that without their perspective, lighthouses were just cold, empty structures. Further, Tim created the U.S. Lighthouse Service Memorial Marker Program that marked nearly 200 gravesites of lighthouse keepers across the nation.
Tim counted among his many honors, the F. Ross Holland Award from the American Lighthouse Council and the United States Coast Guard’s Meritorious Public Service Award and Medal.
From his home in East Machias, Tim served as Editor in Chief of Lighthouse Digest magazine for over 30 years, informing readers through in-depth, well-researched histories from across the country. Through its pages, Tim celebrated preservation successes and inspired action with its Doomsday List of endangered lighthouses.
Tim was a true beacon of preservation, and he will be missed.
Photo Credits: Bob Trapani, Jr.; Lighthouse Digest, Kathleen Finnegan
