Marshall Point Light

Marshall Point Light Station is a historic lighthouse in Port Clyde, Maine, located at the entrance to Port Clyde Harbor. The light station was built in 1832.

The original lighthouse was a 20-foot tower lit by seven 14-inch reflector lard oil lamps. It is located on a rocky outcropping at the tip of Maine’s St. George peninsula. In 1857, the original tower was demolished and the current lighthouse was built in its place. The lighthouse is a 31-foot white brick tower with a granite foundation. A fifth-order Fresnel lens was used to illuminate the tower at first. The tower and the ground are linked by a raised wooden walkway. The lighthouse has a fixed white light and a 13-nautical-mile range. The fog signal is a single blast every ten seconds.

The original keeper’s dwelling was destroyed by lightning in 1895. To replace it, a Colonial Revival-style home was constructed. In 1898, an oil house and a bell tower with a 1,000-pound bell were added. In 1969, the bell was replaced with a foghorn.

In 1980, the lighthouse was automated, and the original Fresnel lens was replaced with a modern 12-inch optic. The initial lens is on display at Rockland’s Maine Lighthouse Museum. The Marshall Point Lighthouse Museum was founded in 1986 by the St. George Historical Society. The organization restored the keeper’s house and presents the histories of Marshall Point Light and other lighthouses in the area. Under the Maine Lights Program, the light station ownership was forwarded to the town of St. George in 1998. The fog signal has since been removed, but the bell is still on display. On March 23, 1998, the lighthouse was added to the National Register of Historic Places.

The lighthouse has appeared in numerous commercial photo shoots as well as the film Forest Gump, starring Tom Hanks, whose character finished his cross-country run on the runway of Marshall Point Lighthouse. Visitors to the museum will find documentation on the film’s production.

Marshall Point Lighthouse is one of 27 Mid-Coast Maine Lighthouses To Check Out. Additionally, you can find more great spots to explore in Maine by visiting the GoXplr Maine Map at goxplr.com/map/maine!