Saturday we had a little rain overnight but Sunday turned out to be another beautiful day, low 70’s. Linda and I headed north this time directly to Newburyport, Ma - well not quite directly as we missed our exit and had to back-track a bit. We’d seen all the other northern lighthouses of Ma previously in the spring and fall of ‘99 but hadn’t gone up to see these three. The harbor of Newburyport is 2 miles from the mouth of the Merrimack River. We drove east on Water Street until we spotted the first light, then parked the car on a side road. This lighthouse is the Newburyport Harbor Rear Range Light (1873).
http://a9.cpimg.com/image/75/35/9612149-389b-01C20152-.jpg It’s not a active light anymore, having been put out of service in 1961 and sold to a
private individual. The 53’ tower is right alongside the building on the left but there is a space between it and the building on the right. Obviously the light’s been kept in good repair and it’s neat how it just sits there so close to the street.
We spotted the Front Range Light just next door on the grounds of the Coast Guard so we
wandered over to see if we could get in. The gate was open so we walked right in. As I was saying to Linda, “If we’re quick maybe we can get some pictures before we’re noticed” out popped a Coast Guardsman! It was fine, he said they just check ID’s and we
could check out the light and take photos.
This light is not the original one and it has seen quite a few alterations both before and after it’s decommissioning, also in 1961. It used to be located closer to the water out on a pier but a few years after it went dark it was relocated adjacent to the basketball court!
http://a5.cpimg.com/image/8F/36/9612175-9e21-01C20152-.jpg Next we got back onto Water Street and continued on it bearing left which eventually
takes you Plum Island. This is quite a thriving community. The road goes left again and we just kept going until we spotted the active Newburyport Harbor Lighthouse.
http://a2.cpimg.com/image/78/35/9612152-ae0f-01C20152-.jpg This 1898 wooden tower replaced two previous sets of moveable range lights, the earliest
dating to 1787. At one time there were even three lights on Plum Island! This light is on the grounds of the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge headquarters. There was a
parking lot so we zipped in and went over to the light through an opening in a wooden
fence. The Refuge folks have another building near the parking lot but also use the keeper’s house. As a car was there we didn’t wander too close. Major improvements
were made to the tower in 1994 so it’s looking good. It retains its 4th order lens and the light flashes green. As I was leaning on the wooden fence for another photo a piece of it fell off! Well, I think someone ahead of me broke it so I just propped it back up! Too bad the tree’s so big!
http://a6.cpimg.com/image/7C/35/9612156-2d80-01C20152-.jpg We left, back-tracking our way, and headed north again towards Portsmouth, NH. From now on we took mostly the scenic route which is much slower but with such a nice day, why not? At one point I spotted a group of islands out quite a ways. Pulling over
and checking them out with the binoculars there seemed to be tall structures on all of
them. Hmm, could they be lighthouses?
As we had a map of Portsmouth we decided to stop by the Wentworth Home to see if
Connie Small was there. Unfortunately for us but fortunately for her, she was out
“attending a function”! We left her a message, then back-tracked again to look for the Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse at Ft. Constitution.
We found this light easily enough, parked the car and followed the directions to “walk on the green line” to Ft. Constitution. This route takes you through the Coast Guard base to the Fort. As we got part way there and looked off to our right there was Whaleback Lighthouse! (1872)
http://a1.cpimg.com/image/B3/37/9612211-a44a-01C20152-.jpg The original light was constructed in 1831 but storm damage took it’s toll and
necessitated the building of the current tower. It’s lens has been removed and the light is a flashing white. This light is in Maine waters so they claim it. I’d say give it to NH, Maine’s got enough!
Way in the distance behind Whaleback are the group of islands that we’d spotted
previously. Wanting to know what other lights might be out there I accosted one of the Coasties who very nicely explained what they were. The island to the left of Whaleback is Appledore Island and the “tower” I’d spotted was a former sub-spotting tower.
http://www.seacoastnh.com/shoals/appledorepix/apple06.jpeg The Island to the right of Whaleback is Star Island which houses a church and conference
center for the Universalist Unitarian Church. Maybe the “tower” I’d noticed here was a spiritual one?!
Just to the right of Star Island and just out of my photo is White Island on which is
located the Isles of Shoals, or White Island Lighthouse (1859). The first light on White
Island was constructed in 1821. After a storm in 1992 most of the structures associated with this lighthouse were destroyed and the following year Maine “gave” this light to NH! This light also exhibits a flashing white light. Well it is on
White Island!
Here’s a great site if you want to read more about this group of islands:
http://www.seacoastnh.com/shoals/index.html We continued along to the fort and I climbed up a little hill to get photos of the
Portsmouth Harbor Light (1877).
http://a4.cpimg.com/image/98/36/9612184-1ea4-01C20152-.jpg This is the 4th light at this location if you count the first “lantern on a pole” that was erected in 1771 when the fort was controlled by the British and called Fort William and Mary. Portsmouth is also where Paul Revere made a “not as famous” ride to warn the colonists of plans to strengthen the Fort. They then attacked the Fort and made off with the supplies. This light is, of course the last “lighthouse home” of Connie Small and she still resides quite close to it. Here we have a green fixed light.
http://a4.cpimg.com/image/A2/36/9612194-9bf0-015201C2-.jpg Climbing another small hill offered an opportunity to catch Whaleback between the
Portsmouth tower and keeper’s house.
http://a7.cpimg.com/image/A5/36/9612197-b916-01C20152-.jpg We left the Portsmouth area and crossed over the bridge into Maine. Continuing north
along our scenic route we eventually got to York Beach. From the Long Sands area we
got our first distant views of the Cape Neddick (Nubble) Lighthouse (1879). We easily found the road that took us out to the light.
http://a5.cpimg.com/image/85/35/9612165-0902-015201C2-.jpg http://a0.cpimg.com/image/8A/36/9612170-cb76-01C20152-.jpg This light station is awesome! There are no photos I’ve seen, mine or any others that
indicate just how high the lighthouse is up on the Nubble Rock! This one must truly be
seen to be fully appreciated. The lantern room contains a 4th order lens, not original and exhibits a flashing red light.
http://a3.cpimg.com/image/6F/35/9612143-ddab-015201C2-.jpg We left the peninsula and continued north a bit to the Short Sands area of York Beach.
Linda had wanted us to go up to the Lighthouse Depot but as it was now 4pm and Sunday I figured that they might not be open by the time we got there. Instead we parked the car and re-visited this beach town where we had spent a few days before, 21 years ago! It certainly didn’t appear to have changed much. We reminisced, visited a few shops, ate a lobster role supper and then headed home after another glorious day of lighthousing!
The next day, Monday, we spent the morning and early afternoon in Linda’s apartment in
Cambridge, she finishing up her taxes and me watching the Marathon on TV. I’d seen it
in person several times before and what with the close finishes the past few years TV is
the place to watch it if you want to know who wins. Fortunately for the runners the
weather was cooler and overcast after more showers the night before. But the sun and
warmth returned as the race ended and Linda and I went over to the Mt. Auburn Cemetery, a place I’d always wanted to see.
Mt. Auburn was the first “rural” cemetery in the U.S. having been consecrated in 1831.
It’s a wonderful, park-like setting, with rolling hills and a multitude of plantings, some of which were in full bloom. There are two beautiful chapels and various memorial
sculptures. There’s even a tower located on the highest point that you can climb. Some
people come to bird-watch. You can either walk or drive following more “green lines”.
Maps and other descriptive materials are available for a modest charge. Mt. Auburn has it’s share of notables, from Longfellow to Fanny Farmer and the “graves of the famous” are shown on the map.
(This was a good place to use up the remaining pictures on the film camera!)
The next day, Tuesday, Linda returned to work and I headed for home, and a heat wave,
after a fabulous weekend!
(The Massachusetts and Maine Pictorial Guide Lighthouse Books by Courtney Thompson
were excellent sources for this trip and provided much of the information given here.)
