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Stephen Baxter hs the distinction of being not only the last person born at Browns Head Light, he was also the first one to be born at the lighthouse while it was under Coast Guard control. Stephen doesn't recall the day, but his parents sure do.
It was back in 1973 that one of the local newspapers headlined a story with, "New Man For Browns Head Light." Not many of us get to have a headline in the paper announcing our birth!
At that time John & Gail Baxter were keepers at Maine's Brown's Head Light on Vinalhaven Island off the coast of Rockland. John was an 18-year USCG veteran at the time and they had three other children, two girls and a boy, ranging in ages from 3 to 9, who were also thrilled at having a baby brother born at the lighthouse.
The Baxters had planned all along to have the baby born at the lighthouse and local doctor Ralpf Earle and nurse Ann McFee were on hand to assist with the delivery.
During his 23-year career, John Baxter served at numerous other lighthouses including Maine's Bear Island Light, Deer Island Light, Mt. Desert Light, Bass Harbor Light, and Beavertail Light in Rhode Island.
While stationed at Beavertail Light, a Navy helicopter crashed right at the lighthouse while they were sitting at the table eating a meal. While stationed at Deer Island Light, he and other keepers had numerous encounters with a ghost, and he swears it was not their imagination.
But having a son born at a lighthouse was the neatest thing of all, but it almost never happened, because they almost didn't get married. As the Baxter's recall, it was back when John was stationed at remote Mt. Desert Lighthouse some 20 miles off the coast of Maine. He was supposed to get a leave to get married, but a hurricane smashed into the Northern New england Coast and he got stranded at the lighthouse for two days. He never attended a rehearsal and only made it to the wedding less than an hour before it was scheduled to take place. Gail recalls that at the last minute they had started to plan on having the wedding banquet and party first and the actual wedding whenever John could get off the island.
This story appeared in the October 1995 edition of Lighthouse Digest Magazine. For subscription information about the print edition, click here.
All contents copyright © 1995 - 2001 by Lighthouse Digest®, Inc. No story, photograph, or any other item on this website may be reprinted or reproduced without the express permission of Lighthouse Digest. For contact information, click here.
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