odiorne point state park
LIGHTHOUSE LOOKOUT TOUR
Did you know that from Odiorne Point State Park and the Center, you can see four lighthouses, Portsmouth Harbor, White Island, Whaleback, and Boon Island, as well as the Wood Island Life Saving Station? What do these structures have in common? How are thery different from each other?
CAN YOU FIND EACH OF THE FOUR LIGHTHOUSES OFF OUR SHORE?
To see the lighthouses, stand facing the water and use the park map to orient yourself!
PORTSMOUTH HARBOR LIGHTHOUSE
This lighthouse was first constructed in 1771 as a 78 foot tall wooden tower. In 1878, this lighthouse was renovated to be built of cast iron and now stands 48 feet tall.
Location: Portsmouth, NH
WHITE ISLAND LIGHTHOUSE
Originally built in 1820 as a stone tower of 87 feet, this lighthouse was one of the first lighthouses in the U.S to have a Fresnel lens that focuses light into a narrow beam. In 1859 the once stone tower was renovated to brick and now stands at 58 feet tall.
Location: Rye, NH
BOONE ISLAND LIGHTHOUSE
This lighthouse was built in 1811 as a 50 foot granite tower on a barren 300×700′ shoal in the Gulf of Maine. In 1855, the lighthouse was renovated to stone and is now the tallest lighthouse in New England at 133 feet tall!
Location: York, Maine
WHALEBACK LIGHTHOUSE
Originally built in 1820, and renovated again in 1872, this lighthouse stands at 59 feet tall and is made entirely out of stone.
Location: Kittery, Maine
WOOD ISLAND LIFE SAVING STATION
This building is not a lighthouse! The current structure was built for the US Lifesaving Service in 1908. Later, in 1915, it became a part of the US Coast Guard!
Location Kittery, Maine