What Is the Portland Head Light?
This is Maine’s oldest lighthouse an one of only four survivors that were originally authorized by George Washington!
What Makes It Historical?
In 1790, the US Government took responsibility for all lighthouses on the coasts of the USA, including one just getting started here in the town of Cape Elizabeth, at the time a part of Massachusetts! Its builders were local masons, John Nichols and Jonathan Bryant, who were instructed to build the 72-foot lighthouse tower out of stones found in surrounding fields and the shore, because the young government could only afford $1,500 to build it! On January 10, 1791 its 15-foot tall lantern, lit by 16 whale oil lamps, was lit up for the first time!
The lighthouse had one yo-yo of a history! It was dropped 20 feet in 1813, raised 20 feet during the Civil War, dropped 21 feet in 1883, then raised two years later to 80 feet and equipped with a second order Fresnel lens! Its first keeper was Joseph K. Greenleaf, and the last keeper to oversee the lighthouse as it went fully automated in 1989 was Davis Simpson! Today, the town of Cape Elizabeth owns the grounds and keeper’s house, while the US Coast Guard maintains the lighthouse as an automated navigation aid!
How Can I #HelpTheHelpers?
- Become a member of the American Lighthouse Foundation!
- Donate to the American Lighthouse Foundation!
- Be a responsible visitor! Please respect the signs and pathways, and treat all structures and artifacts with respect. They’ve endured a lot to survive into the present. They’ll need our help to make it into the future!
How Do I Get There?
1000 Shore Road
Cape Elizabeth, ME 04107
(Take Me There!)
When Should I Visit?
Walk around the exterior any time you like, but the lighthouse tower is only open once a year, on Maine Open Lighthouse Day! That’s the second Saturday in September from 9:00 AM until 3:00 PM!
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