Marshall Point Lighthouse

“Marshall Point Light Station was established in 1832 to assist boats entering and leaving Port Clyde Harbor. The original lighthouse was a 20-foot (6.1 m) tower lit by seven lard oil lamps with 14-inch reflectors.^[1]

The original tower was replaced with the present lighthouse in 1857. The lighthouse is a 31-foot (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.^[1]

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 1,000-pound (450 kg) bell were added in 1898. The bell was replaced with a fog horn in 1969.^[1]

The lighthouse was automated in 1980 and the original Fresnel lens was replaced with a modern 12 inches (300 mm) optic.^[4] 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.^[4] The light station was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1988.^{[3]   ” wikipedia}

 

Like the Portland head lighthouse this was another one that you could walk right up to and touch.  There is a warning sign from the Coast Guard though at the beginning of the walkway that says the horn still sounds and does so without warning. be advised to stay back 100 feet when it does.  While I did walk out to it (and then quickly back) I never did hear it sound; I was hoping it would.

A bit of interesting trivia about this lighthouse is that it appeared in the 1994 movie Forrest Gump when he was doing his famous long run.  And that’s all I’ve got to say about that 😉