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Portland Observatory

Description

It is not a lighthouse. The Portland Observatory is the only present naval signal station in the United States, and thus a unrivalled architectural memorial of maritime shipping and the "Golden Age of Sail." The Portland Observatory was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1972, and has been suggested for National Historic Landmark status.

The tower stopped its "signalizing" operations in 1923, and has been owned by the City of Portland since 1937. In 1936 the Portland Observatory was rated in the Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS), and in 1939 the tower was a Works Progress Administration (WPA) programme during the New Deal programs of the Great Depression.

Currently Greater Portland Landmarks manages the Observatory and uses it as a museum and historic site, proposing educational programs and guided tours. Vivid exhibits explain the tower's history and preservation.