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The small town of Prospect Harbor boasted a large fishing fleet in the 19th century, prompting construction of a lighthouse in 1850 to mark the east side of the inner harbor entrance. Deactivated in 1859, the light was reactivated by the Lighthouse Board into 1870. The initial granite lighthouse attached to a keeper's house was replaced in 1891 with the present 38-foot wood-framed lighthouse and new 1-1/2 story dwelling. The lantern held a fifth-order Fresnel lens; a stone oil house was added in 1905.
In 1934 the keeper was removed from Prospect Harbor light and the Fresnel lens removed in 1951, replaced by an automatic modern optic. The lighthouse is now on the grounds of a Navy Special Operations Command installation, which is off limits to the public. The tower is licensed to the American Lighthouse Foundation.
The light may be easily seen from across the harbor and may also be photographed from just outside the base entrance. Walking along the rocks at the water's edge affords excellent views; there is a scheduled open house each spring.
Directions:
From U.S. Route 1, take either Route 186 or 195 to Prospect Harbor. Turn at the sign to Corea at the intersection of these two routes. FR 605 (Lighthouse Point Road) is about 0.2mile-Route 195 bears left to Corea, but continue straight on FR 605 to the restricted U.S. Navy communications station. The light is easily photographed from the shoreline. Alternatively, across the harbor the light can be seen and photographed from the grounds of the Stinson Canning Company (on Route 186 entering Prospect Harbor) or from a turnout on the shoulder of Route 186, just north of the canning company. | 
