News
- June 03, 2010
OPENING JULY 2 at DPC: "Rescuing Whaleback Lighthouse -- Wave-swept Sentinel"
Whaleback Lighthouse is the iconic sentinel guarding the entrance to Portsmouth Harbor. The granite tower visible today dates to 1872 (although several previous structures stood on the site.) The light sees ocean-going freighters and tugboats, sailing ships and nuclear submarines bound for Portsmouth Naval Shipyard come and go. But as the roaring tides of the Piscataqua ebb and flow and the onslaughts of New England weather pound upon her, this “wave-swept sentinel” is taking a beating.
An extensive exhibit showcasing the current effort to rescue and preserve Whaleback Lighthouse opens at the Portsmouth Historical Society’s Discover Portsmouth Center on July 2 and will be open to the public – at no charge – through mid-September. The DPC is open 7 days a week, 10 am to 5 pm and from 5 to 8 pm on the first Friday of each month as part of Art ‘Round Town.
The exhibit highlights historical, architectural and engineering details of the lighthouse from the Historic Structure Report initiated in 2009 by the Friends of Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse, a chapter of the American Lighthouse Foundation, as the first phase of restoration efforts. The Report notes, “
As the historic resources of our American heritage become more endangered, we are learning the value of preserving the symbols of our past. Not least is the infrastructure for trade and shipping, the lights and other aids to navigation on our shores. Many of these structures integrate elegant engineering and exquisite design. They also serve as icons for our communities and reminders of our maritime history… The information in the report, gathered in 2009 and 2010, is intended to serve as a basis for current and future preservation decisions at Whaleback Light. An immediate, pressing goal is to stabilize the structure, minimizing further damage from the severe environment. A long term goal is to enable public access to view and understand this important historic structure.”The exhibit features drawings and photographs from the study and from the light’s 138 year history. A Fresnel lens like the one in Whaleback Lighthouse (based on the design perfected for lighthouses in 1823 by French engineer Augustin-Jean Fresnel) will also be exhibited at the Discover Portsmouth Center.
Whaleback History
Whaleback Lighthouse (also called Whale’s Back, Whale Back, and Whalesback) stands on a ledge known as the Whale’s Back in the mouth of Portsmouth Harbor, is an offshore, wave-swept lighthouse that went into service in 1872. This conical, granite tower rises 64 feet from the rock to its lantern deck. It is the second lighthouse on the ledge, replacing an older granite tower that was built 1829-30. Portsmouth Harbor has had a lighthouse since colonial times, when one stood on a point outside what became Fort Constitution, on the southwest side of the river’s mouth. A lighthouse has stood roughly on that same site ever since; the lighthouse there today, Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse, was erected in 1878. However, that lighthouse is a bit upstream from the harbor entrance. This lighthouse warns ships away from a major hazard in the mouth of the river: the Whale’s Back – a big rock that was covered with water except at low tide. Ships periodically collided with this rock, resulting in damage at a minimum, to loss of cargo and human life. Whaleback Lighthouse was the answer and the first structure built on the ledge in 1829-30 was the first “wave-swept lighthouse” to stand for any amount of time. By 1869, when Whaleback II was being planned American engineers had built many lighthouses but wave-swept lighthouses were still comparatively rare. Whaleback II’s first lighting came in 1872 and was operated with a keeper until 1963 when Whaleback was automated. For more on the project, see http://www.whalebacklighthouse.org
EXHIBIT EVENTS:
July 2, Public opening and reception, 5-8 pm
July 10, Gallery talk with Jeremy D'Entremont, "Life on the Rocks: Keepers of Whaleback" 11 am
July 24, Gallery talk with Dr. Sara Wermiel, "Building a Lighthouse on a Wave-Swept Rock: Whaleback and Kindred Lighthouses" 11 am
Aug 7, Gallery talk with Deane Rykerson, AIA, "Preserving Our Lighthouse: What Whaleback Needs" 11 am
Aug 21, Lighthouse book signing with author Dr. Sara Wermiel, 11 am - 1 pm
The exhibit, “Rescuing Whaleback Lighthouse – Wind-swept Sentinel” is presented by the Friends of Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse in conjunction with the American Lighthouse Foundation and the Portsmouth Historical Society at the Discover Portsmouth Center, corner of Middle & Islington Streets in downtown Portsmouth. FREE. Open 7 days, 10 am to 5 pm.
For more information on the lighthouse preservation efforts, visit www.portsmouthharborlighthouse.org