Spring Point Ledge Lighthouse has been a beacon on the South Portland coastline for more than a century, warning mariners of dangerous rocks and marking the entrance to Portland Harbor.

But at 110, the years of salt spray and foul weather have taken a toll on this grand old dame of landmarks, which leaks at its seams and is rusting.

The need for repairs to the brick and cast-iron building has prompted the Spring Point Ledge Lighthouse Trust to launch its first fundraiser. The trust wants to weatherproof the railings and decks and seal leaks created by salt corrosion.

The nonprofit trust seeks to raise $71,000. It plans to install new glass in the lantern room, repair cracks in the exterior surface and apply protective sealant. The organization recently received a $5,000 grant from Biddeford & Saco Savings. The trust awaits word on other grants and also is accepting individual donations. Trustees hope to start work this spring.

“This lighthouse is part of Maine’s history and heritage,” said volunteer trustee John McClean. “We don’t want to see that go away. If lighthouses went away, the world would not stop, but we would lose part of the beauty.”

The caisson lighthouse still shines, although it is fully automated, from the timed flashes of white light every six seconds to the foghorn blasts when visibility is low. Humidity sensors automatically activate the foghorn in foul weather.

The U.S. Coast Guard operates the light, and the trust owns the lighthouse, which is located next to Southern Maine Community College and Portland Harbor Museum.

“The light is on 24-7. It never goes off,” said McClean. “This is a functional lighthouse that still aids sailors. Its navigation is important, even with GPS devices today, captains and tugboats still use it.”

The lighthouse also is rich in history. Spring Point Ledge Lighthouse was built in 1897 to warn sailors of a dangerous rock ledge as ships passed through the harbor.

The tower was known as a stag lighthouse, because it had enough room only for the keeper and his assistant. Wives and children lived ashore.

During its first half-century of operation, the only way to reach the lighthouse was by boat. The 900-foot breakwater that leads to the lighthouse today was not built until the 1950s, by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Although the granite breakwater gives pedestrians unusual access to the lighthouse, its original purpose was to protect nearby piers.

Among its veteran lighthouse keepers was Gus Wilson, who is appreciated today as one of America’s most creative decoy carvers and folk artists.

He was hired as lighthouse keeper in 1918. Wilson carved many of his wooden water birds while stationed at Spring Point, until he retired in 1934 – the year the lighthouse switched to electricity.

In 1998, the lighthouse was deeded to the Spring Point Ledge Light Trust by the U.S. Coast Guard. The trust’s staff is composed entirely of volunteers.

Its mission is to maintain the lighthouse to historical standards and reveal its history to the public.

Since 2006, volunteers like McClean lead summer excursions up ladders and down winding stairways, so people can view the keeper’s quarters, which included bedrooms and a kitchen.

“Docents and trustees give the tours,” McClean said. “We need the docents for safety more than anything else.”

The tours are not for the faint-hearted. Visitors must climb a steel ladder to gain access to the lighthouse. A series of ladders and stairways provide access to rooms. The tours start in mid-June and run through Labor Day weekend.

“You can see how the lighthouse keepers lived and the quarters inside the building,” McClean said. “The views of Portland Harbor are panoramic and spectacular.”

To see a photo slideshow of the lighthouse visit Linda Hersey’s blog, The South Portlander.

TO DONATE

People wishing to make donations for renovations to the Spring Point Ledge Lighthouse should make checks payable to Spring Point Ledge Lighthouse Trust. Donations should be mailed to Spring Point Ledge Lighthouse Trust, P.O. Box 2311, South Portland, ME 04106.

Shipshape – Group sets sights on restoring Spring Point lighthouse Shipshape – Group sets sights on restoring Spring Point lighthouse