Portland Headlight - Fort Williams Park - Cape Elizabeth, Maine The original tower measured 72' from base to lantern deck and was lit with 16 whale oil lamps. It was first lit on January 10, 1791. By 1865, the tower was raised 20' and a 2nd order Fresnel lens was installed. Construction of the first Keeper's Quarters began in 1790 as the result of a contract signed by Massachusetts Governor John Hancock. A one story dwelling built to replace the first keeper's house was erected in 1816. The current Keepers' Quarters building was constructed in 1891 as a two story duplex. More information about the lighthouse and tour schedule click here Handcast in lead-free pewter Detailed on both sides Includes a ribbon to hang ornament. 2-1/2" high x 2-3/4" wide New England Lighthouse Collection The Portland Headlight ornament is part of our special Christmas ornament collection. Each of the ornaments in our collection are finely detailed to capture what makes each lighthouse special. Some lighthouses are made of cast iron, similar to the Nubble Light in Cape Neddick, ME, others are made out of hand cut granite block, similar to the Whaleback Light; all the details are captured in our Christmas ornaments. The ornaments are handcast using our specialized centrifugal casting machine using vulcanized rubber molds. Our lead-free pewter is heated to a range of 500 - 600 degrees Fahrenheit. The pewter is then cast into the spinning mold carefully by hand. Once the pewter solidifies, the raw ornaments are taken out of the mold. The castings that are satisfactory to the watchful eye of the Pewtersmith are then deburred by hand. The ornaments are then put through our antiquing process. After drying completely, the Christmas ornaments are buffed by hand, removing just the right amount of the antiquing solution to create the beautifully detailed ornament. Finally, the ornaments are dusted, inspected, and packaged with our red elastic bow hangers.
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