Last Sunday, Steve and Nancy McCullough moved onto Burnt Island for their two-week stint as residential keepers/educators. The son of Keeper James McCullough, Steve has been a familiar face around town educating anybody willing to listen about his 1958-1961 childhood experiences at the Burnt Island Light Station.

In 1999, Steve connected with Elaine Jones and visited the island with his mother Betty and three siblings. Saddened by the condition of its buildings and grounds, he, his wife Nancy and brother Kirk spent countless weekends traveling from Vermont to participate in all phases of the station’s restoration.

In the summer series of returning keepers, Steve will be the only one to share pre-electrification stories of keeping the lights burning in the tower and house; cranking weights to operate the flashing light and fog-bell; using a hand-winch to return the peapod to the boathouse; and living in a house without power. Sponsored by the nonprofit organization “Keepers of the Burnt Island Light,” this new approach to educating the public about the life and times of Boothbay Harbor’s first lighthouse has been very well received.

To participate in Monday or Thursday tours, a reservation can be made through Balmy Days Cruises at (207) 633-2284. Recreational boaters who come ashore between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. will likewise enjoy McCullough’s fascinating stories and a tour of the recently restored lighthouse, dwelling, and museum.