First lit in 1791, the Portland Head Light is the oldest lighthouse in the state of Maine. The date of this painting is unknown, but the Library of Congress photograph at right was taken in 1933 and shows a taller tower than that depicted in the painting.

An excerpt from Wikipedia explains, “During the American Civil War, raids on shipping in and out of Portland Harbor became commonplace, and because of the necessity for ships at sea to sight Portland Head Light as soon as possible, the tower was raised twenty feet.” ... “In 1883 the tower was shortened 20 feet and a weaker fourth-order Fresnel lens was added. The former height and second-order Fresnel lens was restored in 1885 following mariners’ complaints.”