Ram Island Ledge Light
This light on jagged rocks which extend a quarter mile from Ram Island at the northern entrance to Portland Harbor. At high tide the ledges are entirely covered. In 1855 an iron spindle was placed on the ledge as a navigational aid and a larger, 50-foot wooden tripod erected in 1873. While helpful in clear weather, the markers became virtually invisible in bad conditions. Shipwrecks were frequent, but the grounding of the 400-foot transatlantic steamer California in a snowstorm finally convinced the government that a lighthouse was needed. Congress appropriated funds for the construction in 1902; a granite tower was planned.
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Work began in 1903 but because the ledge was submerged much of the time, construction could take place only at low tide. The granite blocks (which make the tower appear older than it is) came from Vinalhaven, were numbered to indicate position, then ferried to the ledge. In 1904 the tower was completed, with a 26,000-pound lantern placed and third-order Fresnel lens installed. The lighthouse was then 90 feet tall, with the light 77 feet above sea level, first lighted in January 1905.
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Three light keepers were assigned to Ram Island Ledge, each working two-week shifts, followed by a week shore leave. Living quarters were inside the tower. In 1958 the light was electrified, then automated in 1959; keepers at Portland Head Light monitored the ledge station. The light is visible off shore from Fort Williams Park in Cape Elizabeth and from points along the shore; some tour boats from Portland pass the light.
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 2000 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.