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Portland Head Light, USA
Historic headland
The Portland Head Light rises from a rocky cape not within the same-named Maine municipality but in nearby Cape Elizabeth. The lighthouse is older than the state itself. In fact, it was first lit in 1791, when Maine was still a part of Massachusetts, George Washington was president and the beacon's fuel was whale oil. Portland Head was among the earliest federally funded projects in the United States, completed with a US$1,500 appropriation passed by congress at President Washington's urging.
Historic headland
The Portland Head Light rises from a rocky cape not within the same-named Maine municipality but in nearby Cape Elizabeth. The lighthouse is older than the state itself. In fact, it was first lit in 1791, when Maine was still a part of Massachusetts, George Washington was president and the beacon's fuel was whale oil. Portland Head was among the earliest federally funded projects in the United States, completed with a US$1,500 appropriation passed by congress at President Washington's urging.
When this light was first lit, Maine was still part of the US state of Massachusetts.
© Haizhan Zheng / E+ / Getty Images 2026-09-11 08:45:51 :