In 1878, a new cast-iron tower was built just to the north of the 1872 lighthouse to serve as a fog signal house. The keeper’s house was relocated in the 1850s to a location near the remains of the Walbach Tower, a structure built in 1814 (near the present public parking area outside the gate to the Coast Guard staton). The 38-foot tower was 22 feet in diameter at its base, and 11 feet at the top. The blaze was extinguished by the soldiers. One neighbor later remembered that Mrs. Cuskley would go into a panic when she got word that the lighthouse inspector was coming. The three appropriations totaled $20,000. The contractor was Benjamin Clark Gilman, a native of nearby Exeter, New Hampshire, who was said to have “remarkable mechanical ability.” The keeper had a difficult time with soldiers stealing his supplies and the sound of cannon fire from the fort breaking the dwelling’s windows. Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse (also known as Fort Point Lighthouse, New Castle Lighthouse and Fort Constitution Lighthouse) was first established in June 1771, making it the first light station north of Boston in the American colonies. 35 talking about this. The lighthouse exhibited two fixed white lights, one 10 feet above the other. Restaurants near Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse: (0.11 mi) Henry's Market & Cafe (0.96 mi) Salt Kitchen & Bar (1.04 mi) Latitudes Restaurant (2.22 mi) Beach Pea Baking Co (2.44 mi) Green Elephant; View all restaurants near Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse on Tripadvisor $ Henry Cuskley. height is given as 59 feet on recent light lists. Engineman Third Class Francis D. Hickey left to go ashore on New Year’s Eve in 1956, only to lose his power. The first Whaleback (called “Whales Back” in early records) Lighthouse was built by order of President Andrew Jackson in 1829-30. In 1784, the tower was renovated and relighted. The 1912 lens is now in storage at the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, Massachusetts. Portsmouth Harbor Light was our first lighthouse to visit in Maine. That same year, the Coast Guard established a base at Fort Constitution and housed personnel in the former keeper's house. His love for Portsmouth Harbor Light and sharing its history was apparent to us all. A chapter of the foundation, the Friends of Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse, was founded to care for the lighthouse, the oil house, and the wooden walkway. Whaleback Light can be seen from Fort Foster in Kittery, Fort Constitution, Fort Stark, and Great Island Common in New Castle, NH, Odiorne Point in Rye, NH, and other spots on both the New Hampshire and Maine sides. The bell tower was described as a “frame structure, 25 feet high, whitewashed, standing upon the Light House pier, and attached to the southerly part of the Light House tower.” When needed, the bell was struck by machinery four times every minute. Arnold B. Henry Cuskley became keeper in 1915 and remained until 1941. The Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse stands tall near the mouth of the Piscataqua River, sharing the land with the old Fort William and Mary. One of the men called to the keeper, pleading that for him to throw them a line. The light was automated in 1963 and the Fresnel lens was replaced by rotating aerobeacons. Most of the would-be rescuers opted not to get too close to the ledges in the heavy seas. According to a nomination to the National Register of Historic Places, “Distinctive ornamental features not found on pre-1870s lighthouses are the Italianate hoodmolds projecting above arched window openings and the brackets supporting the iron-balustraded platform for the lantern which houses the light.”. In 1991, the Coast Guard found that the fog signal was causing structural damage to the tower, so they lowered its volume. The 1872 tower (left) next to the old 1830 lighthouse. It can also be viewed from tour boats leaving Portsmouth. The lighthouse went into service on September 16, 1830. It was well worth the short drive out to New Castle Island. The station was established in 1771 and was the 10th of 11 light stations established prior to the American Revolution. Portsmouth Harbor Light as it is known today, lies in one of the more historical New England sites, once occupied by the British inside Fort William and Mary. A basement provided storage space for water and fuel. Because the government rules that only members of the crew may live there permanently, his wife must remain in town. It appears that the lighthouse was not lit from 1774 to 1784, although it did serve as a lookout post in the defense of Portsmouth during the Revolution. Elizabeth muttered, “Father, do I not love you . The lighthouse was painted a reddish-brownish color until 1902, when it was painted white. . One of Connie’s duties at Portsmouth Harbor Light was to fly weather signal flags, signalling mariners of storm or hurricane warnings. Fifth Auditor of the Treasury Stephen Pleasanton, in charge of the nation’s lighthouses, said in 1842 that he was “in daily expectation that the present building has been demolished by the sea.” Iron clamps were put around the foundation as reinforcement, but they soon broke away in winter storms. Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse In the 1600s, the British established Fort William and Mary on New Castle Island to defend the entrance to the Piscataqua River and Portsmouth Harbor. Lobster was a staple, and peaches and cream were was a preferred dessert. Amee had gone to sea as a young man aboard the Kittery-based schooner Eldorado. The present house was built in 1872 on the foundation of the previous house, and it has been moved twice to make room for Battery Farnsworth (1897) and Battery Hackleman (1906). A cistern in the cellar held drinking water, brought from Sebago Lake 2,000 gallons at a time. Amee performed a brave rescue during a storm in August 1899, when a small boat with two men aboard capsized near the lighthouse. When asked what the men ate, White explained that they formerly had once tried a system whereby one man was cook for the day. There were quarters for four in the tower, but there were usually two or three on duty at one time. When a navigational light at Odiorne Point in Rye, New Hampshire, disappeared in the fog, it was time to activate Whaleback’s foghorn. Storms in 1869 caused cracks in the tower and foundation, and a report stated, “The station should be rebuilt as soon as possible.”A new lighthouse tower was finally erected in 1872 for $75,000. Ammunition taken from Fort William and Mary was used against the British at the Battle of Bunker Hill. Strawberry Banke Museum photo. Flint described the cellar as “scrupulously clean.” A walled-in window was used as a cupboard for food supplies. The great military architect Colonel Sylvanus Thayer concurred, saying, “It is expedient to take down the present structure, and erect in its place a good and substantial building.” The breakwater was never built, and nothing would be done for more than 30 years other than repairs to the existing structures. Pete will be dearly missed by our lighthouse family.” Bob Trapani, Jr., added, “Pete’s loving wife Faith can know this – we will work hard to honor a ‘keeper’ like Pete by carrying forward his dedication and zeal for Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse. Lighthouse is managed by Friends of Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouses, a chapter of the American Lighthouse Foundation. Soon after the wreck it was announced that a new fog bell and tower had been installed at the lighthouse. A new 80-foot octagonal wooden Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse was constructed in 1804, 100 yards east of the 1771 tower on a spot called Pollock Rock. Restaurants near Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse: (0.18 km) Henry's Market & Cafe (1.53 km) Salt Kitchen & Bar (1.67 km) Latitudes Restaurant (2.91 km) Lil's Cafe (3.55 km) Beach Pea Baking Co; View all restaurants near Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse on Tripadvisor In October 2009, the VRB-25 was replaced by a solar powered VLB-44 LED optic. Authored by the ops manager for the Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse, this is a thorough, accurate, and expertly-written effort. On September 25, Rand launched the station’s small boat to take his daughter to New Castle, but it was swiftly overturned by a large wave. Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse, late 19th century. The assistant keepers, working in the lantern room, couldn’t hear each other speak during the gale because the shaking of the apparatus was so violent. White’s dumplings were “an epicurean’s dream.” This praise has been echoed by White’s daughter, Marion White Petlick of Rye, New Hampshire, who fondly recalled visits to the lighthouse as a girl in a 2004 interview. Parris wrote that the lighthouse had been “constructed without science or workmanship.” In one great storm on July 7, 1837, according to Parris, the shaking vibrations was were so violent that “some of the small stones of the tower were shaken out and fell upon the floors of the rooms, and articles of furniture were displaced by the motion of the tower.”. During the past, Lighthouse tours were only available during an open house sessions conducted by Friends of Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse. The assistants at the time were Maynard Farnsworth and Warren Alley. The keeper swam to his daughter and pulled to her to his side as he clung to the bottom of the boat. Located behind the Coast Guard HG just a short hike from where you park. Work on the lower courses could only take place only for a few hours around low tide. Amee remained in charge until 1921, a remarkably long stay at a difficult offshore station. This fourth-order Fresnel lens once used at Whaleback is now at the Peabody-Essex Museum in Salem, MA. (Note: at times the entire site may be closed for security reasons), Visitors are not allowed into the area near the lighthouse, except during open houses held by the Friends of Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouses. A new revolving fourth-order lens was installed in 1898. The next level contained a small kitchen, “comfortable and cheerful, with good sized windows to admit air and sunshine.” The writer was amazed that the men were excellent housekeepers; the numerous brass articles were “kept as bright and glowing as a mirror.”. Construction began in April and the tower was first lighted by early July of 1771. The tower is lined with brick, with and has hard pine floors, cast-iron staircases, and iron ceilings. He is the president and historian for the American Lighthouse Foundation and founder of Friends of Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouses, and he has lectured and narrated cruises throughout the Northeast and in other regions. In December 1948, historian Edward Rowe Snow — famous as the “Flying Santa” to lighthouse keepers — dropped a bundle from a plane containing Christmas gifts for the keepers at Whaleback Light. The crew of a passing schooner heard Rand’s cries for help. Jeremy D’Entremont is the author of more than 20 books and hundreds of articles on lighthouses and maritime history. The li ghthouse was erected on a conical granite pier, 42 feet in diameter at the bottom and 32 feet at the top. Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse: Tickets & Tours ... parking lot the coast guard station new hampshire nice view great improvement great place to visit falling apart american history lighthouse visitors gate battery tower remains. The keeper’s house had not yet been moved to its present location. The vessel and its cargo were a complete loss. Visitors are welcome, however, and Mrs. White often spends several days with him. . Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse (also known as Fort Point Lighthouse, New Castle Lighthouse and Fort Constitution Lighthouse) was first established in June 1771, making it the first light station north of Boston in the American colonies. That didn’t last, because their tastes were all different. I want to go to heaven,” just before she lost consciousness. The 1831 tower remained standing while the new one was built. Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse is located on U.S. Coast Guard Station Portsmouth Harbor in New Castle, NH, adjacent to Fort Constitution. A storm in January 1839 dislodged a giant rock that tore away the iron ladder on the foundation. It was painfully clear that the tower had been poorly built; it leaked badly in storms and heavy seas. John Brooks of Kittery was the second assistant keeper from 1899 to 1915. Maynard Farnsworth, an assistant under White since the 1920s, became the next Coast Guard officer in charge in 1941. Walter S. Amee became keeper at Whaleback in 1893. Wetzel, who had tended the range lights at Henderson Point in Kittery before taking the first assistant position at Whaleback, was only 57 years old; his death was attributed to a cerebral hemorrhage. Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse Website » Also known as Fort Point Light or New Castle Light, Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse is located off Route 1B, adjacent to the Fort Constitution Historic Site and Coast Guard Station. You must anticipate trouble and have spare parts on hand at all times.” Flint noted that the tower’s ten windows—with the glass a half-inch thick—were screened to keep out the houseflies that sometimes arrived in swarms. While walking the shore, William C. Williams of Kittery, later a keeper at Boon Island, found letters and books that had belonged to the crewmen. The remains of the original lighthouse were torn down in 1880. Welcome to the Friends of Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouses website! The tower, about half as tall as the lighthouse, was surmounted by a long iron tube and a third-class fog trumpet. The first keeper was the commandant of the fort, John Cochran. (incandescent oil vapor) lamp was installed. Its light source was three copper oil lamps. One of the earliest known shipwrecks at Whaleback Ledge occurred in February 1733, when a schooner ran onto the rocks and suffered damage that eventually sank the vessel. Haselton was a New Hampshire native who had built the Baptist church on Middle Street in Portsmouth. . Copyright © 2013 Friends of Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouses. Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse in New Castle, New Hampshire and Whaleback Lighthouse … A fourth-order Fresnel lens was installed in 1855. White of New Castle, New Hampshire, son of the former keeper Leander White, succeeded Amee as principal keeper in 1921. One option considered for a while in the late 1840s was the building of an iron-pile lighthouse similar to the ill-fated one at Minot’s Ledge in Massachusetts. It remains New Hampshire’s only deep water port. New Castle, NH The only lighthouse on the mainland of New Hampshire, Portsmouth Harbor Light (also known as Fort Point Light, New Castle Light, and Fort Constitution Light) was constructed in 1877 on the grounds of Fort Constitution, a Revolutionary War fortification. The colonists raided the fort and successfully made off with supplies. To differentiate it from other aids to navigation in the vicinity, the lighthouse exhibited two fixed white lights, one 10 feet above the other. . I have a small table today that I caught on the fly.”. Amee went on to captain fishing schooners out of Salem, Massachusetts, and Portsmouth, New Hampshire, before brief stints as an assistant keeper at Boon Island, Maine, and White Island, New Hampshire. 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