This beautiful lighthouse certainly has a checkered history. It stands on a rocky outcrop which is an extension of nearby Gerrish Island, that is virtually invisible, especially at high tide. It marks the mouth of the Piscataqua River and is 70 feet high. The area was notorious for shipwrecks but attempts to build a lighthouse were very slow moving. The current tower is actually the second one and it has been modified and reinforced several times after its original construction in 1872. The first tower was so poorly constructed light house keepers were in just as much peril as the boats at sea when storms came up. After centuries of remedial repairs, advice from experts to demolish it and rebuild, it was the loss of many lives that finally drove Congress to get funds made available and work to begin. The current light was built in 1872 and it has been operating steadily and safely since then. The tower is now owned by a private organization that preserves lighthouses and there are plans to make it accessible to the public at some point, but as usual, progress is slow!
Please do not feel obligated to comment on all the pictures in this bulky upload! I'm trying not to be too far behind as we enter June, so there'll be lots of pictures coming through in the next few days. Just comment on one or two!
Thank you so much everyone! It was fun pulling up the info and learning about all these wonderful lighthouses I took on my trip to Maine.
@pandorasecho And thanks for the birthday wishes Dixie!!
Thank you Corinne!
Thank you Brian!