Although Portland Head Light is technically located in Cape Elizabeth, it is often associated with Casco Bay and Portland. The lighthouse’s construction began in 1787, directed by George Washington, and was completed on January 10, 1791, with a fund of $1,500 provided by Washington himself.
The initial design specified a 58-foot-tall tower. However, once completed, the builders realized it wasn’t visible beyond the southern headlands, prompting them to extend the tower by an additional 20 feet.
Today, Portland Head Light stands 80 feet above the ground and 101 feet above the water. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on April 24, 1973, and designated a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark by the American Society of Civil Engineers in 2002.
