Portsmouth Harbor Light

Infobox Lighthouse


caption = Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse
location = Portsmouth Harbor, Piscataqua River, New Castle, New Hampshire
coordinates = coord|43|4|15.73|N|70|42|30.94|W|region:US_type:landmark
yearbuilt = 1771 (original tower)
1878 (current tower)
automated = 1960
construction = Cast-iron & Brick
shape = Conical
height = convert|48|ft|m|0|sing=on
currentlens = Fourth order Fresnel, 1854
range = 12 nm
characteristic = Fixed Green

Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse is located within Fort Constitution in New Castle, New Hampshire, USA.

The station was established in 1771 and was the 10th of 11 light stations established prior to the American Revolution. The first tower was a shingled wooden structure with an iron lantern and copper roof. It's light source was three copper oil lamps.

The first tower was replaced in 1804 by an convert|80|ft|m|0|sing=on octagonal wooden tower approximately convert|100|yd|m|0|sing=off east of the 1771 tower. In 1851, twenty years after the establishment of Whaleback Lighthouse, the tower was shortened to convert|55|ft|m|0|sing=off. Three years later, in 1854, the tower was fitted with a Fourth (4th) Order Fresnel Lens.

In 1878, a new convert|48|ft|m|0|sing=on cast-iron, brick-lined lighthouse tower was erected on the same foundation as the 1804 tower. When the new tower was completed, the surrounding remains of the 1804 tower were removed.

The current light is a fixed green signal that is visible for convert|12|nmi|km|0. The light is made green by an acrylic cylinder that surrounds the lens.

Other structures at the light station that are still standing are the 1903 oil house (restored in 2004) and the 1872 keeper's house (currently United States Coast Guard offices). [cite web| url=http://www.lighthouse.cc/portsmouth/history.html| title="Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse History"| author=D'Entremont, Jeremy| publisher=Friends of Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse| date=2007-01-14| accessdate=2008-06-30]

Friends of Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse

Founded in 2001, the Friends of Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse are a chapter of the American Lighthouse Foundation (ALF). The mission of the Friends is to work for the preservation of Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse and associated structures, as well as to gather and preserve the history of the important historic site and to share these resources with the public. The United States Coast Guard owns Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse and still maintains the active aids to navigation equipment. The group is licensed through ALF to care for the tower, oil house, and wooden walkway. [cite web| url=http://lighthouse.cc/portsmouth/aboutus.html| title="About Us"| publisher=Friends of Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse| accessdate=2008-06-30]

External links

* [http://www.portsmouthharborlighthouse.org/ Friends of Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse]

References