Cape Neddick Light in York, Maine (© Haizhan Zheng/Getty Images)

Cape Neddick Light in York, Maine (© Haizhan Zheng/Getty Images)

Nubble Island's only industry

Cape Neddick Light sits on a tiny island called Nubble Island, or 'the Nub'—just 100 yards from the mainland of the cape. It's on Maine's southern shore and is one of just eight lighthouses in Maine that still use a Fresnel lens to amplify the light. The island isn't accessible to the public, but because it's so close, many visitors come to Sohier Park on the cape for the view of the lighthouse. Why August 7 for Lighthouse Day? Because it was this day in 1789 the US government placed all lighthouses under federal control to make sure these important safety signals were all built, supported, and maintained equally.