Marshall Point Light Station is a

lighthouse A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of physical structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses and to serve as a beacon for navigational aid, for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways. Lighthouses mar ...

at the entrance of Port Clyde Harbor in

Port Clyde, Maine Port Clyde is the southernmost settlement on the St. George peninsula in central/coastal Maine and part of the town of St. George in Knox County, Maine, United States. The ZIP Code for Port Clyde is 04855. In the 19th century, Port Clyde became a ...

. The light station was established in 1832.

History

Marshall Point Light Station was established in 1832 to assist boats entering and leaving Port Clyde Harbor. Four acres of land previously owned by Samuel Marshall were purchased for $120. The land was named for an early settler who had a homestead, John Marshall. The original lighthouse was a tower lit by seven lard oil lamps with 14-inch reflectors. The original tower was replaced with the present lighthouse in 1857. The lighthouse is a white brick tower on a granite foundation. The tower was originally lit with a fifth-order Fresnel lens. A raised wooden walkway connects the tower to land. In 1895, the original keeper's house was destroyed by lightning. A Colonial Revival style house was built to replace it. An oil house and a bell tower with a bell were added in 1898. All the following keepers lived in the new house, including Charles Clement who was the keeper from 1874 to 1919. The bell was replaced with a fog horn in 1969. The lighthouse was automated in 1980 and the original Fresnel lens was replaced with a modern optic. The original lens is at the Maine Lighthouse Museum in

Rockland Rockland may refer to: People *Per Bergsland, nicknamed Peter Rockland, one of three successful escapees from Stalag Luft III (the "Great Escape") Places ;In Canada *Rockland, Greater Victoria *Rockland, Nova Scotia *Rockland, Ontario ;In the Uni ...

. In 1986, the St. George Historical Society restored the keeper's house and established the Marshall Point Lighthouse Museum there, presenting the histories of Marshall Point Light and other nearby lighthouses. The light station was added to the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

in 1988. The lighthouse appeared in the 1994 film ''

Forrest Gump ''Forrest Gump'' is a 1994 American comedy-drama film directed by Robert Zemeckis and written by Eric Roth. It is based on the 1986 novel of the same name by Winston Groom and stars Tom Hanks, Robin Wright, Gary Sinise, Mykelti Williamson and ...

''. The light station was transferred to the town of

St. George Saint George (Greek: Γεώργιος (Geórgios), Latin: Georgius, Arabic: القديس جرجس; died 23 April 303), also George of Lydda, was a Christian who is venerated as a saint in Christianity. According to tradition he was a soldier ...

in 1998 under the Maine Lights Program. The fog signal has been dismantled but the bell remains on display.

References

External links

Marshall Point Lighthouse Website
{{Authority control Lighthouses completed in 1832 Lighthouses completed in 1857 Houses completed in 1895 Lighthouses on the National Register of Historic Places in Maine Lighthouses in Knox County, Maine Penobscot Bay National Register of Historic Places in Knox County, Maine 1832 establishments in Maine

History

See also

References

External links