At the west side of the mouth of the Penobscot River in Stockton Springs, Fort Point Light was established in 1836 by order of President Andrew Jackson to aid vessels bound for Bangor, a leading lumber port. The lighthouse got its name from adjacent Fort Pownall, built in 1759 to guard against the a French, by order of Massachusetts Governor Pownall (Maine was at that time a part of Massachusetts).
The first wooden tower was replaced by the present 31-foot square brick lighthouse in 1857; a two-story keeper's house, attached to the tower, was built in the same year. In 1890 a bell tower was added and in 1897 and oil house built. All buildings still remain, with the pyramidal bell tower listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Replaced by a foghorn, the bell now hangs outside the tower, the 1857 Fresnel lens remains in use.
The bell tower houses historic photos and is sometimes open to the public.
The light was automated in 1988; the grounds and buildings are now part of Fort Point State Park. The lighthouse is easily accessible with nearby parking. |