Spring Point Ledge Light - South Portland, ME
Posted by: 
neoc1
N 43° 39.123 W 070° 13.436
19T E 401300 N 4833955
Spring Point Ledge Light, a spark-plug light, extends out from the campus of Southern Maine Community College and guards the west side of the main shipping channel into Portland Harbor in South Portland, ME.
Waymark Code: WMWM2V
Location: Maine, United States
Date Posted: 09/17/2017
Views: 1
Spring Point Ledge Light was constructed by the United States government in 1897 after many vessels ran aground on the rocks around Spring Point Ledge. Thomas Dwyer of New York, NY oversaw the construction of the cylindrical white-brick tower, sited on top of a cast-iron caisson. The lighthouse had a fog bell that sounded twice every 12 seconds, and a lantern fitted with a fifth order Fresnel lens. It was first lit on May 24, 1897 by William A. Lane, the first light keeper.
The lighthouse, which was owned and operated by the United States Coast Guard, was electrified in 1934. A 900' long breakwater connecting the lighthouse to the shore was completed in 1951. The station was automated in the 1960s and the Fresnel lens replaced by a 300mm lens. The automated foghorn sounds once every ten seconds.
On April 28, 1998, the Maine Lights Selection Committee approved a transfer of ownership of the tower to the Spring Point Ledge Light Trust. The United States Coast Guard retained the light and fog signal. In 1988 Spring Point Ledge Light was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. It was opened to the public on May 22, 1999.
Visit Instructions:
To post a visit log to this waymark you need to visit and write about the actual physical location. Any pictures you take at the location would be great, as well.