Portland Observatory
General Information
| Structural Type: |
Wooden truss tower
|
|---|---|
| Function / usage: |
Observation tower
|
| Completed in: | 1807 |
| Status: | out of service |
Geographic Information & Related Structures
| Location: |
Portland, Cumberland County, Maine, USA, North America |
|---|---|
| Address: | 138 Congress Street |
Technical Information
Dimensions
| number of floors (above ground) | 7 |
Materials
| tower |
wood
|
|---|---|
| foundations |
stone
|
Notes
Captain Lemuel Moody originated the idea to build the tower.
Field stone foundation, with ballast of Field Stone. Frame wood. Exterior walls shingled. Floors single thickness. Stairway to top.
Portland Observatory was built for private enterprise. Purpose of building was to sight incoming vessels (ships can be sighted at least 12 miles at sea). Owner's flags, which could be seen from town, indicated arrival of ships. It is believed that merchants prepared to do their trading before ships had entered harbor. Portland Observatory was also used in sending aid to ships showing signals of distress. During War of 1812, the Observatory was used as a watch tower of the town. Location of the structure is one of the highest points of land in Portland. [Text from HABS]
Participants
Currently there is no information available about persons or companies having participated in this project.
Relevant Web Sites
Relevant Publications
There is no relevant literature listed in the database.
Internal Information
| Structure-ID: | s0011647 |
|---|---|
| Created: | 19/03/2004 |
| Last Updated: | 05/03/2013 |