Repainting of Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse almost done!

At left: Loyd Dussault of Johnson Interiors puts a new coat of paint on the bottom section of Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse, NH.

The $30,000 repainting project, paid for by Friends of Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse, is almost complete.

Early next week, the J.B. Leslie Masonry Company will attach protective netting beneath the ironwork on the lighthouse's lantern deck, which will prevent cliff swallows from nesting there.

Over the years, the nesting birds had caused much corrosion of the ironwork.

The swallows have easily adapted by building nests in the walls of nearby Fort Constitution.

See www.portsmouthharborlighthouse.org for more information.

Bagpiper on the Rocks

Bagpiper John Daggett entertained visitors to last Sunday's open house at Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse. Here he is on the rocks near the lighthouse in a photo taken by Sharon Mills, secretary of Friends of Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse.

Preservation Award for Monhegan Lighthouse

The Monhegan Historical and Cultural Museum Association, which cares for the historic lighthouse on Monhegan Island, Maine, has been awarded an Historic Preservation Honor Award from Maine Preservation for their recent restoration of the lighthouse. The restoration work was carried out by the J.B. Leslie Masonry Company, the same company that has performed work on Cape Elizabeth and Pemaquid Point lights in Maine, and is just completing work on Portsmouth Harbor Light, NH.

Congratulations to the Monhegan Historical and Cultural Museum Association and the J.B. Leslie Masonry Company for a job beautifully done!

You can read more about the award by following this link.

Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse in the fog

Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse in New Castle, NH, was covered with scaffolding and enshrouded in fog today.

The paint job on the lighthouse should be finished within a few days. See www.seacoastonline.com/articles/20100529-NEWS-5290313

Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse gets shiny new coat of paint

From today's Portsmouth Herald, by Charles McMahon:

NEW CASTLE — Years of fund raising are paying off in the form of a new paint job for the Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse.

Painters have spent several weeks scaling the 48-foot tower off Route 1B near Coast Guard Station Portsmouth Harbor and Fort Constitution, and plan on finishing the project next week.

Above - From scaffolding just below the observation deck atop the Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse, Brian Johnson of Johnson Interiors, seen through a porthole, paints the exterior of the lighthouse in New Castle on Wednesday. Scott Yates syates@ seacoast online.com. Scott Yates/syates@seacoastonline

CLICK HERE TO READ THE STORY

Photo of the Day: Portland Head Lighthouse, Maine

I took this shot on Thursday during my first van tour of the season.

Click here for the schedule for New England Lighthouse Tours.

Here are some images of today's tall ship parade in Portsmouth Harbor, with Fort McClary and the shoreline of Kittery Point, Maine, in the background. These photos were taken from the top of Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse in New Castle, NH.

The first photo shows the Lynx, a replica of a War of 1812 privateer, and the HMS Bounty, replica of the famous 18th century British ship, passing Fort McClary.

The second photo shows a fireboat approaching the Bounty.


Here's another shot of the Bounty near Fort McClary.


And here's a video clip of the Lynx firing some cannon shots.



The tall ships will be open to the public this weekend -- click here for info.