Friends of Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouses marks 10-year anniversary with benefit concert and new tour season

At the rocky edge of perilous waters, lonesome lighthouse keepers were the guides to safe harbor when this country was being built by maritime commerce.

“No matter what, that light had to be lit,” Jeremy D’Entremont said. “They were completely devoted to the lighthouse.”

He’s the operations manager for Friends of Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouses, which cares for Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse in New Castle and Whaleback Lighthouse in Kittery, Maine.

“We owe a debt to lighthouse keepers,” D’Entremont said.

This month marks the 10th anniversary for Friends of Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouses as a chapter of the American Lighthouse Foundation. On Saturday, June 25, a celebration and concert will be held at Captain & Patty’s restaurant in Kittery Point, Maine, starting at 7 p.m.

Neptune’s Car, the folk duo of Holly Hanson and Steve Hayes, will perform their story songs, including “Lighthouse Keeper.” Seacoast Men of Harmony, a singing group based in Dover, will open the show. There will also be a raffle at the event, with all proceeds benefiting the organization.

D’Entremont said the chapter has put $50,000 into preserving the Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse, including a new coat of paint to protect it from rust, a new wooden walkway, and the renovation of a nearby oil house where kerosene was once stored.

Lighthouses can fall into disrepair quickly if they aren’t cared for because of the damp conditions and harsh storms on the water, he said. And, since the lights are now all automated, the historic structures that housed the keepers are threatened.

The chapter began caring for Whaleback Lighthouse in 2009 and was able to do some temporary stabilization work late last year to prevent water from leaking in. But D’Entremont said they are planning the structure’s full restoration and fundraising in stages. “That’s a major project,” he said. 

Whaleback is now a priority, but it’s difficult to access because there is no landing dock. D’Entremont said the chapter hopes to have one built by this time next year.

Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse is relatively easy to access. There are open houses every Sunday through Columbus Day weekend from 1 to 5 p.m. A cast iron stairway spirals up along the brick wall of the interior of the lighthouse for 44 steps, then a seven-rung ladder leads to the lantern room. On a clear day, you can see all the way to Cape Ann in Massachusetts. 

“I think it’s the best view in the New Hampshire Seacoast,” D’Entremont said.

The top of the lighthouse not only provides a panoramic view, but also a look at the Fresnel glass lens of the light, which D’Entremont says is like a functional work of art. “It really is quite a beautiful green light at night,” he said.

Volunteers share the history of the light station during the tours. D’Entremont said more than 15,000 people have taken the tour. Numbers have gone up in recent years and there have been as many as 300 people in one tour, but it’s usually between 100 and 150, he said.

“There’s just something about them that grabs hold of people’s imagination,” he said.

As guides to safe harbor, lighthouses symbolize strength, hope and faith, D’Entremont said. 

The Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse was the first to be built north of Boston in 1771, so it’s also a reminder of the area’s historic connection to the sea. “Portsmouth was a leading port in Colonial America,” he said. “It rivaled Boston, New York and Portland.”  

There are also Tuesday Evening Lighthouse Cruises, departing the Kittery town dock at 6:30. Captain Neil Odams gives a historical tour of the Piscataqua River basin, with points of interest on both the Maine and New Hampshire shore including historic forts, the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard and, of course, the lighthouses. 

For more information on all events, call 603-431-9155 or visit www.portsmouthharborlighthouse.org. The admission fee to climb the lighthouse is $4 for adults and $2 for children 12 and under. Visitors should park outside the gate to the Coast Guard Station and walk to the lighthouse, being sure to stay in designated areas when passing through the station.