Whaleback Light, mouth of the Piscataqua River between New Caste New Hampshire and Kittery Maine, York County Maine
Originally built in 1847, current structure built in 1872.
WHALEBACK LEDGE LIGHT
Location: PORTSMOUTH HARBOR/PISCATAQUA RIVER
Station Established: 1820
Year Current / Last Tower(s) First Lit: 1872
Operational: Yes
Automated: Yes, 1963
Deactivated: n/a
Foundation Materials: Stone / Timber
Construction Materials: Granite blocks
Tower Shape: Conical
Markings/Pattern: Natural
Relationship to Other Structure: Integral
Original Lens: Fourth Order, Fresnel, 1855
Historical Information:
- 1820 – First lighthouse built on the site.
- 1829 – 2nd lighthouse built for $20,000.
- 1855 – New lantern installed – 4th order Fresnel added.
- 1863 – Fog bell and tower installed.
- 1872 – 2nd tower replaced by current tower.
- 1880 – Old tower removed.
- 1963 – Lighthouse automated.
- 1991 – Volume of fog signal reduced because sound vibrations were damaging the lighthouse structural integrity.
Keepers:
- Samuel E. Haskell (1831-1839)
- Joseph L. Locke (1839-1840)
- Zachariah Chickering (1840)
- John Kennard (1840)
- Joseph D. Currier (1841)
- Eliphalet Grover (1841-1843)
- J. Prentiss Locke (1843-unknown)
- Richard R. Lock (c. 1847)
- Jedediah Rand (1849-1853)
- Reuben T. Leavitt (1853-1859)
- Oliver P. Tucker (1859-1860)
- Gustavus A. Abbott (1860-1861)
- Joel P. Reynolds (1861-1864)
- Edward Parks (assistant, 1863-1864)
- Nathaniel P. Campbell (1864)
- Ambrose Card (assistant, then keeper 1864)
- Gilbert Amee (assistant 1864, then keeper 1864-1869)
- Mrs. M. M. Amee (assistant, 1864-1867)
- Isaac W. Chauncy (assistant, 1867-1868)
- James W. Varney (1869-1871)
- Ferdinand Barr (assistant 1868-1871, became keeper 3/22/1871)
- Emily F. Barr (assistant, 1871)
- William H. Caswell (1871-1872)
- Frank P. Caswell (assistant, 1871-1872)
- Chandler Martin (1872-1878)
- George R. Frost (assistant, 1872-1873)
- Frank L. Chauncey (assistant, 1873 and 1876-1880)
- John L. A. Martin (assistant 1874-1876)
- Leander White (1878-1887)
- John W. Lewis (assistant 1880-1882)
- Brackett Lewis (assistant 1883-1885)
- Ellison C. White (assistant 1885-1887, principal keeper 1887-1888)
- James M. Haley (1888-1893)
- Daniel Stevens (assistant 1887-1890)
- John W. Robinson (assistant 1890-1892)
- James Haley (Jr.?) (assistant 1892-1893)
- Walter S. Amee (1893-1921)
- Wallace S, Chase (assistant 1893-1894)
- Alvah J. Tobey (assistant 1894-1899)
- Joseph A. Pruett (assistant 1896-1897)
- John W. Wetzel (assistant 1897-1924)
- John P. Brooks (assistant, 1899-1915)
- Arnold B. White (1921-1941)
- W. A. Alley (c. 1935)
- Maynard F. Farnsworth (c. 1922-1940s)
- Charles U. Gardner (relief keeper, c, 1942-1943)
- Francis D. Hickey (Coast Guard, c. 1956-1957)
- Robert Brann (c. 1959)
Researched and written by Marie Vincent, a volunteer through the Chesapeake Chapter of the U.S. Lighthouse Society.