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Spring Point Ledge Lighthouse
South Portland, Maine

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Average Rating:

8.0 (2 reviews)

Recommended By: 100% of reviewers

General Information

Date Established: 1897
Date Present Tower Built: 1897
Date Automated: 1934
Height of Tower: 54 ft.
Height of Focal Plane: 54 ft.

Location

Distance from You:
Open to Public?: Grounds accesible by walking across the breakwater. There are occasional open houses.

Photos

Full-Size

*Photos on this page are the property of Cary, unless otherwise noted, and may not be downloaded or used without permission from the copyright owner.

Description

Spring Point Ledge Light was needed to warn ship about the hazardous ledge that had caused many shipwrecks. In the early 50's, the ledge was covered over by the breakwater that exists today and allowed for people to walk out to it. This makes Spring Point Ledge Light different from other caisson lights as people can walk around it, rather than it being completely surrounded by water. Two forts that were part of Portland Harbor's coastal defense system are visible from the light- Fort Preble on the land nearby and Fort Gorges across the bay.

Directions (from springpointlight.org):

From Interstate 295, take Exit 6A, Forest Ave. and then right on State Street. Follow State Street (Route 77) through Portland and over the Casco Bay Bridge to South Portland. The bridge feeds traffic directly onto Broadway. Go straight ahead off the bridge. {DO NOT turn off Broadway where Rte 77 branches right at the Ocean St. traffic light!} Stay on Broadway until the stop sign in front of the marina. Turn right on Pickett St. then left on Fort Road. Follow Fort Road through the Southern Maine Community College campus until it ends at the water. Portland Harbor Museum and the lighthouse are on your right.

Description Credits:
Patti

Submitted by: Cary

Date of last review: Thu Sep 21, 2006

Views: 1619

Author

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Patti

Joined: 16 Jul 2006
Posts: 46

Review Date: Wed Aug 30, 2006

Would you recommend the lighthouse? Yes | Rating: 8

Pros:	Cute lighthouse, picturesque location.
Cons:	You have to be careful to walk out to this light; there are large boulders and water on either side.

Spring Point Ledge Light is very close to Bug Light, which was great. Bug Light wound up being somewhat of a dissapointment to us, so we were very relieved to go to Spring Point Ledge. We wound up being able to go into the light and the view from the top was amazing! There were many photo ops around the light, even through one one of Fort Preble's gunports, which is on the land nearby.

makgambit

Joined: 28 Aug 2006
Posts: 16

Review Date: Thu Sep 21, 2006

Would you recommend the lighthouse? Yes | Rating: 8

Pros:	On the water
Cons:	can kill yourself walking to it

I think its a cute lighthouse. Plus is close to the Bug lighthouse and not far from Portland head. Very hard to walk out to. Can not see it if there is a heavy fog.