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Geographic coordinates: 43° 39' 20" N 70° 14' 06" W
Nearest city: South Portland. Located at the entrance to Portland Harbor and the Fore River.
Established: 1855. Present lighthouse built: 1875. Deactivated: 1942; Relighted: 2002.
Height of tower: 26 feet.
Earlier optic: Sixth-order Fresnel lens. Present optic: 250 mm.
Characteristic: White flash every 4 seconds.
Construction of a 2,500-foot protective breakwater in Portland Harbor began in 1836 but was soon halted by lack of funds. The shortage of funds also delayed the building of a lighthouse, making the breakwater more of a navigational hindrance than help. Funds for a lighthouse were appropriated in 1854, and a small octagonal wooden tower was lighted for the first time by keeper W.A. Dyer on August 1, 1855. A keeper’s house wasn’t built until 1889.
The breakwater was extended in the early 1870s, and a new lighthouse was erected at the end of the breakwater in 1875. The design of the cast-iron tower is unique: the cylinder is surrounded by six fluted columns.
In the early 1940s, shipyards expanded into the harbor, shortening the breakwater until the lighthouse stood only 100 feet from the shore. The light was extinguished in 1942, and it was sold into private hands. In 1985, it was donated to the city of South Portland. The South Portland/Cape Elizabeth Rotary Club and the Spring Point Ledge Light Trust completed a restoration of the lighthouse, culminating in a relighting ceremony on August 14, 2002.
The lighthouse is now part of Bug Light Park, which also includes a Liberty Ship memorial. More than 250 Liberty Ships were built on the site during World War II.
Fascinating Fact 
It’s said that this lighthouse was modeled after the Greek Choragic Monument of Lysicrates, built in the fourth century B.C.
Free parking is available near the lighthouse at Bug Light Park. To reach the park, follow the directions above for Spring Point Ledge Light. When you reach the stop sign in front of the Spring Point Marina, turn left. Turn right onto Madison Street and follow into Bug Light Park. Turn right as you approach a booth, into the parking area near the water. You can also view the lighthouse from some of the trips offered by Lucky Catch Cruises (207-761-0941, www.luckycatch.com), Portland Discovery (207-774-6498, www.portlanddiscovery.com) and Casco Bay Lines (207-774-7871, www.cascobaylines.com). The narrated 65-minute tour offered by Downeast Duck Adventures (207-774-DUCK, www.downeastducktours.com) includes the lighthouse. New England Lighthouse Tours (603-431-9155, www.newenglandlighthousetours.com), based in Portsmouth, NH, offers van trips to this lighthouse and others.
