They are open Monday and Thursday from 9:00 am – Noon and have local and military history exhibits on display. In October 2022, the Cape Elizabeth Historical Preservation Society moved into the former Bachelor Officers’ Quarters located at the far end of the Parade Ground near the baseball field. For park hours, maps, and directions, see our contact page. The adjacent ninety-acre Fort Williams Park offers picnic facilities, hiking opportunities, sports and recreation areas, historic structures, and unlimited ocean views. The lighthouse tower is only open to the public one day per year on Maine Open Lighthouse Day.
Also on the site is a seasonal shop featuring Maine-related gifts. The award-winning Museum contains a number of lighthouse lenses and interpretative displays. The Museum at Portland Head Light is contained within the former Keepers’ Quarters. The Park is open year round from sunrise to sunset. Situated along the spectacular shores of Fort Williams Park, at 1000 Shore Road, the popular landmark is owned and managed by the Town of Cape Elizabeth, Maine. P.S.Portland Head Light at Sunset – Photo by: Richard MorinĬape Elizabeth is the home of Portland Head Light. Lighthouse families tended to be close-knit, working together and entertaining each other, striving toward a common goal to keep the light burning. Parents educated their children at home or found ways for them to attend school by living with family or friends.
Living at a lighthouse often meant that families were far from civilization. The appointed keepers were in charge of tending to the light, and the families assisted with the chores. Many families lived at lighthouses, working to maintain the lightkeeping standards. Ida was awarded a Congressional gold medal for life-saving and became a national heroine. At Lime Rock Lighthouse near Newport, Rhode Island, she served as keeper and gain fame for rescuing at least eighteen people during her time at the light. Ida Lewis was one of the most famous female lighthouse keepers. Following the Civil War, it wasn’t uncommon for injured Union veterans to received the keeper position and their wife or daughter performed the lightkeeping duties, thereby keeping the family in a good and relative safe shelter with a reliable income.
Oftentimes, women became assistant keepers, working alongside their fathers or husbands, or were hired as the keeper after their relative-keeper’s death or injury. It was one of the first government jobs available to women. The rules outlined duties, making it possible to commend and honor the keepers who went above and beyond the requirements…while also identifying keepers who had to be dismissed. The rules helped ensure proper care for government property and reduced supply waste.Ĭ. There were standards for lightkeeping after the Board was established in 1852ī. There were three main reasons keepers and to follow strict rules:Ī. Lighthouse Keepers Had To Follow Strict Rules A lighthouse might be the living quarters of the keeper, but the structure belonged to the nation.Ĥ. That meant although a keeper lived there and was paid for his work, anyone – an official, a civilian, or military – could arrive at the lighthouse and ask for shelter or a tour. A lighthouse was the home of the keeper, assistant keepers, and/or their families, but it was first and foremost an aid to navigation. Yes, lighthouses could be in remote or difficult to reach locations, and some sat the entrances to harbors or near popular vacationing places. Lighthouse Structures Were Government Property Lightkeeping positions could be “awarded” as political favors or as jobs for veterans – particularly after the Civil War however, lightkeepers had to be able to perform their duties and couldn’t sit “idly on the job.”ģ. They had to follow a strict set of rules and were over seen by the district inspector and Lighthouse Board (see below). Typically making between $800-$1,000, lighthouse keepers were hired and employed by the U.S. Lighthouse Keepers Were Government Employees During the day, there were constant chores, cleaning, repairs, and daily life tasks to accomplish, and maybe a nap to rest for the evening watch.Ģ. Keepers stayed away through the night, taking turns at the light watches if there were multiple keepers at the light station. Lightkeeping was not the idyllic life we might imagine, not the scene of an old keeper wearily climbing the stairs to light the lamps before he went to bed. There were no sick days and no time off either.
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