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| Portland Head Light | |
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Portland Head's
Lighthouse is technically the first, and oldest, American
lighthouse. True, the light in Boston Harbor is about the same
design, and it was built earlier, but that light was
installed by the British Empire. Portland Headlight is the first lighthouse ordered, built, and paid for
by the US Treasury, and was opened by George Washington, then
president of the United States, in 1790. All the the structures on
the site are original, and very well preserved. It is an excellent
example of workmanship and design, and was the pattern for many
other lighthouses that followed.
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The Goddard Mansion was built in 1858 for a Portland
Businessman who was also the commander of the 1st Maine
Regiment during the Civil War. His property adjoined
Fort Warden, and was eventually made part of Ft Warden's
grounds.
Once part of Ft Warden, the home was used to house bachelor officers. Stationed at the fort. |
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Fort Warden was established as a Northern Coastal Fort to defend Portland's harbor against the British shortly after the Revolutionary War. It remained in use as a coastal defense Fort until the 1960's. |
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Above is Battery Keys, first installed in 1809, and
updated and used in the Civil War, and in WW1 and 2. This dock (on the right) is where anti-submarine mines were maintained during WW2. It was heavily damaged in a hurricane in the 1960's, and by periodic North Atlantic winter storms over the years. |
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During the Civil War, a shoal was built up into a fort to provide cross fire with Fort Warden. |
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It is the lighthouse, however, that is the jewel of the
Fort. The buildings are the original structures. The tower was heavily damaged and repaired and the light was raised with an addition added to the top of the tower. The ring is where the old top was, and you can see the bricks are different. |
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The foghorns were upgraded over the years, obviously...
above, on the left is the original set, The picture on the
right shows two generations of horns, and a laser
fog-sensor. Across the bay, the two towers of Cape Elizabeth Light can be seen. That's where the laser fog-sensor is pointing, to judge the obscuration between the two towers. |
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Every time I see the lighthouse, it looks just a bit
different than the time before...
And, no matter how it looks, its always beautiful! |
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In spite of the lighthouse, several ships have shipwrecked
here over the years, especially during storms...
For history's sake, this sign is kept up quite nicely...
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Out in the Harbor, Ram Island Light, which lies in the
shadow of Portland Head Light, stands largely ignored. There's another lighthouse off-shore... but the weather has to be just right for you to see it. |
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Portland Headlight, to me, is what defines a lighthouse. Its the first one I remember seeing, and its the one I measure all others by... |
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