Portland Head Light - Cape Elizabeth, ME
Posted by: Groundspeak Charter Member neoc1
N 43° 37.389 W 070° 12.473
19T E 402548 N 4830727
Portland Head Light has been designated as a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark in 2002.
Waymark Code: WMCTE4
Location: Maine, United States
Date Posted: 10/10/2011
Published By:Groundspeak Premium Member QuesterMark
Views: 30
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Portland Head Light is the oldest and arguably the most famous and photographed lighthouse in America built by the United States government. It was constructed at the direction of President George Washington and Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton in 1787.

This historic lighthouse is located in Cape Elizabeth at the entrance to Casco Bay and is now a part of Fort Williams Park. The light has been upgraded over the years. In 1855, a fourth-order Fresnel lens was installed only to be replaced by a second-order Fresnel lens. That in turn was replaced by an aero beacon in 1958 until a DCB-224 aero beacon was installed in 1991.

Portland Head Light is 80 feet above ground and 101 feet above the Atlantic Ocean. The DCB 224 beacon, rated at 200,000 candlepower, is visible from 24 miles out to sea. The grounds, and keeper's house are owned by the town of Cape Elizabeth, while the beacon, and fog signal are owned and maintained by the U.S. Coast Guard. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on April 24, 1973 and designated a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark in 2002.

A plaque on the northside of the lighthouse tower is inscribed:

NATIONAL HISTORIC
CIVIL ENGINEERING LANDMARK
AMERICAN
SOCIETY OF
CIVIL
ENGINEERS
1852
PORTLAND HEAD LIGHT
Portland Head Light was the first lighthouse completed and put into
service by the Federal government under the lighthouse Act of 1789
Completed 1791 Designated 2002

Location:
Fort Williams Park Cape Elizabeth, Maine

Type of structure/site: Lighthouse

Date of Construction: 1791

Engineer/Architect/Builder etc.: The tower was constructed by John Nichols and Jonathan Bryant

Engineering Organization Listing: American Society of Civil Engineers

Primary Web Site: [Web Link]

Secondary Web Site: [Web Link]
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