Portland Breakwater Light
About this property
The Portland Breakwater Light (also called Bug Light) is a small lighthouse in South Portland, Maine, United States. A lighthouse was first built here in 1855 as a wooden structure. The breakwater was extended and a new lighthouse was constructed at the end of it in 1875. The new lighthouse was made of curved cast-iron plates whose seams are disguised by six decorative Corinthian columns. Its design was inspired by the Choragic Monument of Lysicrates in Athens, made well-known by engravings. The architect was Thomas U. Walter, most noted as the designer of the U.S. Capitol east and west wings and its current dome. Wooden sheds and a six-room house for the lighthouse-keeper were added incrementally as needed. In 1897, Spring Point Ledge Light was erected and the houses around Bug Light were demolished and the Spring Point Ledge Lighthouse keepers tended to both lighthouses. During World War II, the breakwater was slowly absorbed by landfill as the New England Shipbuilding Corporation built two shipyards next to the lighthouse. These shipyards produced Liberty Ships for the war effort. Because of the smaller breakwater, there was less need for the lighthouse and it was decommissioned in 1943. The light was fully restored in 1989 and was reactivated in 2002. It appears as a private aid to navigation in the US Coast Guard Light List as South Portland Breakwater Light. A park named after the lighthouse, Bug Light Park, allows visitors to view the Portland Breakwater Light up close, while memorializing the shipbuilding efforts of World War II. The light was added to the National Register of Historic Places as Portland Breakwater Light on June 19, 1973, reference number 73000238. National Register of Historic Places listings in Cumberland County, Maine Media related to Portland Breakwater Light at Wikimedia Commons
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Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).
Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
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Questions about this property
When was Portland Breakwater Light listed on the National Register?
Portland Breakwater Light was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on June 18, 1973.
What type of historic resource is Portland Breakwater Light?
Portland Breakwater Light is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.
What is the period of significance for Portland Breakwater Light?
The period of significance for Portland Breakwater Light is recorded as the industrial era.
Can I research the history near Portland Breakwater Light?
Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Portland Breakwater Light will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.
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