Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Spring Point Ledge Light

Spring Point Ledge Light is a lighthouse adjacent to Bug Light, and marks a dangerous obstruction on the west side of the main shipping channel into Portland Harbor.

The lighthouse was constructed in 1897 by the government after seven steamship companies stated that many of their vessels ran aground on Spring Point Ledge. Congress initially allocated $20,000 to its construction, although the total cost of the tower ended up being $45,000 due to problems with storms and poor quality cement.
The lighthouse featured a fog horn that sounded every 12 seconds, and a lantern fitted with a fifth order Fresnel lens first lit by Keeper William A. Lane on May 24, 1897.

Improvements were made to the lighthouse throughout the 20th century. It was electrified in 1934, and in 1951, a 900-foot breakwater made from 50,000 tons of granite was constructed in order to connect the lighthouse to the mainland.

1 comment:

  1. Awww....it's so cute! I can't imagine being the lighthouse keeper with a fog horn that sounds every 12 seconds -- I'd go MAD~!

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