Whaleback Light

Whaleback Light is a historic lighthouse marking the mouth of the Piscataqua River in Kittery, Maine. It is located on a rocky outcrop offshore southwest of Fort Foster and south of Wood Island in Kittery. The present tower was built in 1872. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988.[4]

Whaleback Light
Whaleback Lighthouse
LocationPiscataqua River entrance, Kittery, Maine
Coordinates43°3′31.534″N 70°41′46.701″W
Year first constructed1830
Year first lit1872 (current tower)
Automated1963
FoundationStone / timber
ConstructionGranite blocks
Tower shapeConical
Markings / patternNatural
Tower height15 metre 
Focal height59 feet (18 m)
Original lensFourth order Fresnel lens, 1855
Current lensVLB-44
Range14 nautical miles (26 km; 16 mi)
CharacteristicGrp Flash (2) White, 10s
Fog signalHORN: 2 every 30s
Admiralty numberJ0232
ARLHS numberUSA-963
USCG number1-0200[1][2][3]
Heritageplace listed on the National Register of Historic Places 
Whaleback Light Station
Nearest cityKittery Point, Maine
Arealess than one acre
Built1872
ArchitectUS Army Corps of Engineers
MPSLight Stations of Maine MPS
NRHP reference No.87002278[4]
Added to NRHPMarch 23, 1988

History

The station (known in early records as "Whales Back") was first established in 1830 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, still standing today, was built with dovetailed granite blocks alongside the original tower, which was removed in 1880. The light is 59 feet (18 m) above mean sea level, and the tower, also housed the keeper's living quarters and a storage area.[5]

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. The light was automated in 1963.[5]

The current lighthouse exhibits two white flashes every 10 seconds and is created by a modern VLB-44 LED light, which was installed in October 2009.[6]

In 2007, under the National Lighthouse Preservation Act of 2000, Whaleback lighthouse was made available to a suitable new steward. The American Lighthouse Foundation and its chapter Friends of Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouses submitted an application and in November 2008, became the new owners.[7]

Keepers [1]
  • Samuel E. Haskell (1831–1839)
  • Joseph L. Locke (1839–1840)
  • Zachariah Chickering (1840)
  • John Kennard (1840)
  • Joseph D. Currier (1841)
  • Eliphalet Grover (1841–1843)
  • J. Prentiss Locke (1843-unknown)
  • Richard R. Lock (c. 1847)
  • Jedediah Rand (1849–1853)
  • Reuben T. Leavitt (1853–1859)
  • Oliver P. Tucker (1859–1860)
  • Gustavus A. Abbott (1860–1861)
  • Joel P. Reynolds (1861–1864)
  • Edward Parks (assistant, 1863–1864)
  • Nathaniel P. Campbell (1864)
  • Ambrose Card (assistant, then keeper 1864)
  • Gilbert Amee (assistant 1864, then keeper 1864-1869)
  • Mrs. M. M. Amee (assistant, 1864–1867)
  • Isaac W. Chauncy (assistant, 1867–1868)
  • James W. Verney (1869–1871)
  • Ferdinand Barr (assistant 1868-1871, became keeper 3/22/1871)
  • Emily F. Barr (assistant, 1871)
  • William H. Caswell (1871–1872)
  • Frank P. Caswell (assistant, 1871–1872)
  • Chandler Martin (1872–1878)
  • George R. Frost (assistant, 1872–1873)
  • Frank L. Chauncey (assistant, 1873 and 1876–1880)
  • John L. A. Martin (assistant 1874-1876)
  • Leander White (1878–1887)
  • John W. Lewis (assistant 1880-1882)
  • Brackett Lewis (assistant 1883-1885)
  • Ellison C. White (assistant 1885-1887, principal keeper 1887-1888)
  • James M. Haley (1888–1893)
  • Daniel Stevens (assistant 1887-1890)
  • John W. Robinson (assistant 1890-1892)
  • James Haley (Jr.?) (assistant 1892-1893)
  • Walter S. Amee (1893–1921)
  • Wallace S, Chase (assistant 1893-1894)
  • Alvah J. Tobey (assistant 1894-1899)
  • Joseph A. Pruett (assistant 1896-1897)
  • John W. Wetzel (assistant 1897-1924)
  • John P. Brooks (assistant, 1899–1915)
  • Arnold B. White (1921–1941)
  • W. A. Alley (c. 1935)
  • Maynard F. Farnsworth (c. 1922-1940s)
  • Charles U. Gardner (relief keeper, c, 1942–1943)
  • Morgan W. Willis (1948-1950)
  • Francis D. Hickey (Coast Guard, c. 1956-1957)
  • Robert Brann (Coast Guard, c. 1957)
  • Stephen H. Rogers (USCG, c. 1957-1958)
  • James Pope (Coast Guard, c. early 1960s)
  • USCG photo circa 1950
  • The original 1829 tower circa 1847.
  • Whaleback Light circa 2009 - winter sunrise

See also

References
  1. "Historic Light Station Information and Photography: Maine". United States Coast Guard Historian's Office. Archived from the original on 2017-05-01.
  2. Light List, Volume I, Atlantic Coast, St. Croix River, Maine to Shrewsbury River, New Jersey (PDF). Light List. United States Coast Guard. 2009. p. 3.
  3. Rowlett, Russ (2009-12-07). "Lighthouses of the United States: Southern Maine". The Lighthouse Directory. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
  4. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
  5. "NRHP nomination for Whaleback Light Station". National Park Service. Retrieved 2015-10-04.
  6. "ave of future sweeps over Whaleback Lighthouse". 2009-10-29.
  7. "Whaleback Lighthouse Receives New Keepers". MaineBusiness.com. 2008-11-18.
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