National Register of Historic Places

Portland Headlight

Cape Elizabeth, Cumberland County, Maine
Listed
April 23, 1973
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
73000121

About this property

Portland Head Light is a historic lighthouse in Cape Elizabeth, Maine. The light station sits on a headland at the entrance of the primary shipping channel into Portland Harbor, which is within Casco Bay in the Gulf of Maine. Completed in 1791, it was the first lighthouse built by the U.S. government and is the oldest lighthouse in Maine. The light station is automated, and the tower, beacon, and foghorn are maintained by the United States Coast Guard, while the former lighthouse keeper's house is a maritime museum within Fort Williams Park.

Location

Cape Elizabeth, Cumberland County, Maine
43.62313, -70.20768

Categories

COMMERCETRANSPORTATIONARCHITECTURECOMMUNICATIONS
National Register nomination ›
Sources

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.

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Portland Headlight

This page lists Portland Headlight. A full Aubrey report for an address near it pulls together this listing alongside battlefield records, land patents, and every other historical record within a chosen radius:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
First month just $5.99, then $11.99 a month. Unlimited locations, cancel anytime.

Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

Start your Portland Headlight report
Or see a real report first

Nearby Historic Sites

Brown, C. A., Cottage
Industrial
0.3 mi
Beckett's Castle
Civil War
0.6 mi
Ram Island Ledge Light Station
Industrial
1.2 mi
Seavey-Robinson House
Industrial
2.1 mi
Greenwood Garden Playhouse
Industrial
2.2 mi

Nearby Battles

Queen Anne's War – Raid on Casco ME 1703
1703Colonial
3.1 mi
Siege of Fort Loyal Casco 1690
1690Colonial
3.5 mi
Siege of Fort Loyal (Falmouth) 1690
1690Colonial
3.5 mi
Raid on Falmouth (Casco, Maine) 1690
1690Colonial
3.5 mi

Questions about this property

When was Portland Headlight listed on the National Register?

Portland Headlight was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on April 23, 1973.

What type of historic resource is Portland Headlight?

Portland Headlight is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Portland Headlight?

The period of significance for Portland Headlight is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Portland Headlight?

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 Headlight will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

More in Cumberland County

Historic places, battles, and census history across Cumberland County.

Explore CumberlandCounty ›

More historic places in Maine

Browse all historic places in Maine.

View Mainehistoric sites ›

Conflict records

Explore 19,000+ military engagements across American history.

Browse US conflicts ›

Maine history

Colonial settlement, territorial period, and statehood narrative.

Mainehistory ›

Research the history near this site

An Aubrey US report for an address near Portland Headlight will include this listing alongside battlefield records and other historical sources within your chosen radius.

Research your locationView a free sample report