Cape Elizabeth Light House - Two Lights, Cape Elizabeth Maine

Date added: February 14, 2024

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The location of this lighted beacon is one of the most important along the northeast coast of the United States. Not only does it mark the entrance to Portland Harbor but it is also a key landmark in coastal navigation. These twin towers also represent an era when the use of double lights for ranging purposes was adopted in several locations.

As early as 1811, a 50 ft. rubblestone and lime mortar tower was erected on the site of the present east light by Gen. Henry Dearborn of Revolutionary War fame. In the second decade of the 19^th century, a rapid growth in shipping occurred, and in the spring of 1827, the Federal Government approved the erection of twin 65 ft. stone beacons 129 ft. above sea level. Located 300 yards apart, the eastern tower showed a fixed light and the western a flashing light 45 seconds on .45 off. In 1854, the new Fresnel lenses were added to both lights.

Suddenly on June 1^st, 1855, it was announced that the Western light would be discontinued and on August 1^st, it was extinguished. Such a storm of protest followed, particularly on the part of fishermen who used the lights for triangulating the position of nets and traps, that on April 1^st, 1856, both lights were restored to their former state. It was not the last such episode.

In 1874, the stone towers were torn down and replaced by the cast iron structures remaining today. This reflects the extensive use of cast iron for heavy construction in the mid-19^th century.

The Lighthouse Board, in an economic move in 1882 again eliminated the western light, and again there was a great public outcry. Through the influence of Maine's powerful congressman, Thomas B. Reed, this ruling was overturned.

Finally, despite more protests, the Western light was permanently extinguished in 1924. During the Second World War, it was stripped of its lantern and used as an observation post. In 1959, the tower along with 104 acres was sold to the highest bidder and acquired by the screen actor, Gary Merrill.

In 1925, the eastern light was converted from kerosene to electricity and is one of the most brilliant beacons on the northeast coast.

Of added interest is the fact that the east light was the subject of a painting by the celebrated artist, Edward Hopper, which was used as the design for the 1970 Maine Sesquicentennial postage stamp.

Site Description

The two cast iron lighthouses on the Cape Elizabeth shore were erected a century ago in 1874. Located 300 yards apart, they were of identical design. Both lights stand 129 feet above sea level and are 65 feet high. While the west light became altered into an observation post during World War II, the east light retains the original appearance that both once had.

The east light has a square concrete base which appears to be a later addition. The entrance to the light is found on the west wall of the base. Located at the center of this wall, the door is cast iron and has a cast iron enframement.

The main shaft of the lighthouse is comprised of six stages, each one divided by a projecting circular ridge at the top and bottom. The stages decrease slightly in size as the shaft rises. The first, third, and fifth stages each contain a window on the east and west sides of the light. Each window has a gabled pediment above it supported by a pair of brackets. This Italianate architectural detail is fashioned out of cast iron. Another handsome cast iron element is the circular balcony located at the sixth stage. Supported by a series of brackets, the balcony has a railing that features delicately turned posts.

The top of the lighthouse contains the beacon, originally kerosene but electric since 1925. The beacon is surrounded by glass and has a domed roof which is capped by a large ball. A second, less ornamental cast iron balcony encircles the base of the beacon area. The two balconies are joined by a cast iron ladder.

Except for the removal of the cast iron door and its enframement, the west light remains identical to the east one up to the sixth stage. The first circular balcony survives, but its ornamental cast iron railing has been stripped of detail. The graceful glass beacon enclosure with its domed top has been replaced by a multi-sided box-like observation tower with two narrow tiers of horizontal windows and a flat roof. The major interior feature of both lights is the circular cast iron staircase which winds its way to the top of the shaft.

Erected contemporaneously with the two cast iron towers, the Keeper's House is a modified Gothic Revival cottage dating from 1874. The house has a brick foundation, is of frame construction, and stands two stories high. It is L-shaped with a cross-gable roof. Each of the four major walls has a gable decorated with bargeboards. Windows on the first and second stories originally featured simple Gothic molding above them, much of which is no longer present. The Keeper's House is an integral part of the historic setting of Two Lights. Its picturesque vernacularism was recognized by Edward Hopper, who included the dwelling in his famous 1929 painting of the East Light.