Friends of Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse, Neighbor

Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse (also known as Fort Point Lighthouse, New Castle Lighthouse and Fort Constitution Lighthouse) was first established in June 1771, making it the first light station north of Boston in the American colonies.  Today’s 48-foot tower was built in 1878.

The Friends of Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouses was founded in 2001 as a chapter of the American Lighthouse Foundation (ALF). Our mission is to work for the preservation of Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse and associated structures, as well as to gather and preserve the history of this important historic site and to share these resources with the public.

The Coast Guard owns Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse and maintains the aids to navigation equipment. Our group is licensed through ALF to care for the tower, oil house, and wooden walkway.

In November 2008, our mission grew larger as we were awarded ownership of Whaleback Lighthouse in Kittery, Maine. We are working for the restoration of this lighthouse with the ultimate goal of public tours.

In February 2011, we officially changed the chapter name to the Friends of Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouses to more accurately reflect our mission.

If you’d like to volunteer to help us preserve these wonderful resources for future generations, please contact us at info@portsmouthharborlighthouse.org.   We especially need volunteers who can help out at our open houses and other fundraising events.