Marshall Point Light Station
Encyclopedia
Marshall Point Light Station is a lighthouse
at the entrance of Port Clyde Harbor in Port Clyde, Maine
. The light station was established in 1832.
Marshall Point Light Station was established in 1832 to assist boats entering and leaving Port Clyde Harbor. The original lighthouse was a 20 feet (6.1 m) tower lit by seven lard oil lamps with 14 inch refelctors.
The original tower was replaced with the present lighthouse in 1857. The lighthouse is a 31 feet (9.4 m) tall white brick tower on a granite foundation. The tower was originally lit with a 5th order Fresnel lens
. A raised wooden walkway connects the tower to land.
In 1895, the original keeper's house was destroyed by lightning. A Colonial Revival style house was built to replace it. An oil house and a bell tower with a 1000 pounds (453.6 kg) bell were added in 1898. The bell was replaced with a fog horn in 1969.
The lighthouse was automated in 1980 and the original Fresnel lens was replaced with a modern 300 mm optic.
The original lens is at the Maine Lighthouse Museum in Rockland
. In 1986, the St. George Historical Society restored the keeper's house and established the Marshall Point Lighthouse Museum there, presenting the histories of Marshall Point Light and other nearby lighthouses. The light station was added to the National Register of Historic Places
in 1988.
The lighthouse appeared in the 1994 film Forrest Gump
.
The light station was transferred to the town of St. George
in 1998 under the Maine Lights Program. The fog signal has been dismantled but the bell remains on display.
Lighthouse
A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses or, in older times, from a fire, and used as an aid to navigation for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways....
at the entrance of Port Clyde Harbor in Port Clyde, Maine
Port Clyde, Maine
Port Clyde is the southernmost settlement on the St. George peninsula in central/coastal Maine and part of the town of St. George in Knox County, Maine, United States....
. The light station was established in 1832.
History
The original tower was replaced with the present lighthouse in 1857. The lighthouse is a 31 feet (9.4 m) tall white brick tower on a granite foundation. The tower was originally lit with a 5th order Fresnel lens
Fresnel lens
A Fresnel lens is a type of lens originally developed by French physicist Augustin-Jean Fresnel for lighthouses.The design allows the construction of lenses of large aperture and short focal length without the mass and volume of material that would be required by a lens of conventional design...
. A raised wooden walkway connects the tower to land.
In 1895, the original keeper's house was destroyed by lightning. A Colonial Revival style house was built to replace it. An oil house and a bell tower with a 1000 pounds (453.6 kg) bell were added in 1898. The bell was replaced with a fog horn in 1969.
The lighthouse was automated in 1980 and the original Fresnel lens was replaced with a modern 300 mm optic.
The original lens is at the Maine Lighthouse Museum in Rockland
Rockland, Maine
Rockland is a city in Knox County, Maine, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 7,297. It is the county seat of Knox County. The city is a popular tourist destination...
. In 1986, the St. George Historical Society restored the keeper's house and established the Marshall Point Lighthouse Museum there, presenting the histories of Marshall Point Light and other nearby lighthouses. The light station was added to the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1988.
The lighthouse appeared in the 1994 film Forrest Gump
Forrest Gump
Forrest Gump is a 1994 American epic comedy-drama romance film based on the 1986 novel of the same name by Winston Groom. The film was directed by Robert Zemeckis, starring Tom Hanks, Robin Wright and Gary Sinise...
.
The light station was transferred to the town of St. George
St. George, Maine
St. George is a town in Knox County, Maine, United States. As of the 2000 census, the town population was 2,580. It includes the villages of Port Clyde, Clark Island, Glenmere, Martinsville and Tenants Harbor, the latter its commercial center. A favorite with artists, writers and naturalists, St...
in 1998 under the Maine Lights Program. The fog signal has been dismantled but the bell remains on display.