Well protected and seldom frozen over, the harbor of Portsmouth, New Hampshire, near the mouth of the Piscataqua River, was one of the busiest ports of colonial America.
The town of New Castle, once known as Great Island, was long a thriving fishing village, and it was the first capital of the province of New Hampshire. Jutting out from the northeast corner of the town—about a mile from the entrance to the Piscataqua River—is the finger of land known as Fort Point, named for the fortifications that have been located there for nearly four centuries.
It was here that a lighthouse, the first one north of Boston in the American colonies, was established in June 1771. In 250 years since then, the light station has been home to a succession of fascinating personalities, and it’s also been the scene of much human drama. Today, it is preserved by Friends of Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouses, a chapter of the American Lighthouse Foundation, as a monument to the region’s rich maritime heritage.
Jeremy D’Entremont, author of this new 250th Anniversary Special Edition of “The Light at Fort Point,” is the author of more than 20 books, founder of Friends of Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouses, and historian for the U.S. Lighthouse Society.
Illustrated, 68 pages, soft cover. Click here to order your copy now!
Jeremy D’Entremont is the author of more than 20 books and hundreds of articles on lighthouses and maritime history. He is the president and historian for the American Lighthouse Foundation and founder of Friends of Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouses, and he has lectured and narrated cruises throughout the Northeast and in other regions. He is also the producer and host of the U.S. Lighthouse Society podcast, “Light Hearted.” He can be emailed at Jeremy@uslhs.org