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On August 14, 2002, in the midst of a heat wave, more than 300 people gathered along the shoreline of Bug Light Park in South Portland, Maine to enjoy a light sea breeze and to celebrate the start of a new life for an old friend. Portland Breakwater Lighthouse, affectionately known as Bug Light, has been restored and relighted as a private aid to navigation 60 years after it was deactivated.
The South Portland-Cape Elizabeth Rotary Club and the Spring Point Ledge Light Trust worked for many months toward this day. The Rotary Club has raised over $17,000 for the lighthouse and the park, including $2,100 for the recent painting of the tower’s exterior and interior by Two Lights Painting. Another aspect of the restoration was the installation of a replacement ventilator ball, donated by the U.S. Coast Guard Aids to Navigation Team South Portland. The old ball had been stolen a few years ago.
Among those present at the ceremony was Deborah Conley of Cape Elizabeth, the great granddaughter of William T. Holbrook, who was the lighthouse keeper between 1909 and 1919. Conley’s father and uncle were born at the lighthouse. She told the Portland Press Herald, “My father was very proud of this light. It looks much better now.” Also present was Pauline Brilliant of Topsham, Maine. Brilliant’s grandfather Preston Marr, one of an extended family of Maine lightkeepers, was another keeper of Portland Breakwater Light.
In 1855 a small octagonal wooden tower was lighted for the first time at the end of Portland Breakwater. The breakwater was extended in the early 1870s, and a new lighthouse was erected on a granite foundation at its terminus. First lighted in June 1875, the present Portland Breakwater Light was modeled after the Greek Choragic Monument of Lysicrates, built in the fourth century B.C.
The design of the cast-iron tower is unique, with a cylinder surrounded by six fluted columns. It has been suggested that Thomas Ustick Walter, who designed and erected the cast-iron dome on the nation’s Capitol building, may have had something to do with designing the lighthouse.
In 1889 an adjacent wooden keeper’s dwelling with two rooms was erected. Two more rooms and an attic were added in 1903. The house presented an unusual appearance as it actually hung over the edge of the breakwater on both sides. The dwelling was destroyed many years ago.
In the early 1940s shipyards expanded into the harbor, shortening the breakwater until the lighthouse stood only 100 feet from the shore. Portland Breakwater Light was extinguished in 1942, like many lighthouses during World War II, and it was decided that the light was no longer needed. The lighthouse was soon declared surplus property and sold into private hands.
In 1985 the lighthouse was donated to the City of South Portland, and in recent years 14-acre Bug Light Park has been established on the adjacent grounds. A Liberty Ship memorial in the park, sponsored by the Portland Harbor Museum, was dedicated in November 2001. 266 Liberty Ships were built on the site during World War II. These vessels played an important role carrying supplies across the Atlantic during the war.
Jeffrey Jordan, City Manager of South Portland, served as the master of ceremonies for the recommissioning event. South Portland Mayor William Dale declared, “This harbor is alive and well, and this lighthouse is representative of it.”
Jack Roberts, president of the South Portland-Cape Elizabeth Rotary Club and Chairman of the Town Council of neighboring Cape Elizabeth, asked how many people in the audience remembered when Bug Light was an active aid to navigation 60 years ago, and there was a surprisingly strong show of hands. In his remarks Roberts said, “Bug Light has a new lease on life. It will shine as the crown jewel of Bug Light Park... This lighthouse is so much more than stone and iron. It is living history... This lighthouse has stood the test of time for 127 years. With loving care it will be here for another century and beyond.”
Rusty Nelson, president of the Spring Point Ledge Light Trust, remarked, “This is a unique light in the real sense of the word. There is no other lighthouse like it in the world.” The Trust cares for Bug Light’s closest lighthouse neighbor. Spring Point Ledge Light is one of the few “sparkplug” type lighthouses in the U.S. that is occasionally open to the public.
State Representative Lawrence Bliss read proclamations from the State of Maine, and congratulatory letters from U.S. Senators Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins were also read.
Congressman Tom Allen, representing Maine’s First District, added, “This is a perfect day and a wonderful project to celebrate. One of the things that strengthens any community is paying attention to its past... The lighthouse will make a real difference in the harbor, and it’s a real measure of the spirit of South Portland.”
Senior Chief Tommy Dutton of the U.S. Coast Guard’s Aids to Navigation Team South Portland had the honor of turning on the light at the event. Portland Breakwater Light’s 250 mm optic now exhibits a white flash every four seconds, welcoming visitors to South Portland and historic Portland Harbor.
This story appeared in the
October 2002 edition of Lighthouse Digest Magazine. The print edition contains more stories than our internet edition, and each story generally contains more photographs - often many more - in the print edition. For subscription information about the print edition, click here.
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