Ram Island Ledge Light

Title

Ram Island Ledge Light

Artist

Carla Parris

Medium

Photograph - Digital Photograph

Description

Ram Island is located about a mile offshore from Portland Head near the entrance to Portland, Maine’s busy harbor. The island is surrounded by dangerous ledges, and was the site of numerous shipwrecks over the years.

As far back as 1855, there was an iron spindle erected as a navigational aid on Ram Island Ledge, which extends for a quarter mile from Ram Island, and a larger 50-foot wooden tripod was placed there in 1873. However, while these markers were helpful in clear weather, they were essentially useless in bad weather when they were rendered virtually invisible, and the latter was washed away several times. Even with nearby Portland Head Light, the ledges were treacherous and dangerous and feared by mariners. Finally, after the high-profile transatlantic steamer California ran aground on Ram Island Ledge in a snowstorm in 1900, Congress appropriated funds for the Ram Island Ledge Light, pictured here.

Construction of the lighthouse, which began in 1903, presented challenges as Ram Island Ledge is submerged much of the time, and work could only take place at low tide, but it was finally completed in 1905.

The Ram Island Ledge Light is constructed of granite from Vinalhaven, Maine. It’s 90 foot tower is nearly identical to that of Graves Light in outer Boston Harbor, which was built at about the same time. An iron pier was built adjacent to the tower to facilitate the landing of men and supplies during rough weather, and an oil house and fog bell were also added to the lighthouse during 1905.

The lighthouse originally included a third-order Fresnel lens imported from Paris, France. It was electrified in 1958, automated in 1959, and finally converted to 300 mm solar powered optics in 2001.

The Ram Island Ledge Light, whose coordinates are : 43 37 54 N 70 11 12 W, produces two white flashes every six seconds. Its fog signal is a single blast every 10 seconds.

Uploaded

August 8th, 2018

Statistics

Viewed 303 Times  -  Last Visitor from New York, NY on 04/15/2024 at 8:30 AM

Colors

Embed

Sales Sheet