[Back] [ Up ] [ Next ]

Portsmouth Harbor Light

A lantern on a pole was the first "lighthouse" established in 1771 at Ft. William and Mary, a British stronghold on the Newcastle Island guarding Portsmouth Harbor.

The first overt act of the Revolutionary War occured in the area in December 1774. After learning of British plans to strengthen the fort, Paul Revere rode to Portsmouth from Boston with the news. Forewarned, the colonists overpowered the fort and made off with supplies.

 

A more permanent tower was built during the period 1782-1784, making it one of America's twelve colonial lighthouses. Following transfer of the property to the federal government, President George Washington is said to have visited the lighthouse.

In 1804 a new octagonal wooden tower was constructed and replaced in 1877 with a new 48-foot cast-iron tower; a fourth-order Fresnel lens was installed.

The fortifications on Newcastle Island, now attached by causeway to the mainland, became known as Ft. Constitution. Portsmouth Harbor Light was automated in 1960 and is part of the Ft. Constitution Historic Site, adjacent to an active Coast Guard Station.

All text copyright ã 1999 by Courtney Thompson/CatNap Publications. All rights reserved.  No part may be reproduced, stored in retrieval system or transmitted, in any form without prior written permission from the publisher. 

All images copyright ã 2002 by Richard Asarisi/Photoworkings.com.  All rights reserved.  No part may be reproduced, stored in retrieval system or transmitted, in any form without prior written permission from the publisher.