Whaleback Light (Kittery)

Whaleback Light

Whaleback Light (Kittery)

Whaleback Light is located offshore of Fort Foster and Wood Island in Kittery, Maine, at the entrance to the Piscataqua River and Portsmouth Harbor.

The station (known in early records as "Whales Back") was first established in 1820. In 1829, a replacement was built for $20,000. The tower was upgraded in 1855 with a new lantern and a fourth order Fresnel lens. A fog bell and tower were installed in 1863. In 1869, storms had caused cracks in the tower and foundation causing the decision to build a new tower in 1872. The new tower was built with dovetailed granite blocks alongside the original tower, which was removed in 1880. At some point the fog bell was replaced with a horn and in 1991, the volume of the horn was reduced because it was damaging the integrity of the structure.

Photo p101, Aug 2001