Portland Breakwater "Bug" Light

First lighted in June 1875 by Keeper Stephen Hubbard, the Portland Breakwater Light, known locally as "Bug Light," was modeled after the Choragic Monument of Lysicrates, built in Athens, Greece, in the fourth century B.C. The design of the 24-foot-tall (to the tip of the lantern), cast-iron tower is unique. The cylinder, a little less than 12 feet in diameter, is surrounded by six fluted columns.

It has been suggested that Thomas Ustick Walter, who designed the cast-iron dome on the U.S. Capitol building, may have had something to do with designing the lighthouse. The lighthouse held a sixth order Fresnel lens. The light was electrified in 1934 Portland Breakwater Light was extinguished in 1942, like many lighthouses during World War II.

The fog bell was operated electrically for a while, but the electrical cable was badly damaged by dredging operations. It was subsequently decided, in May 1943, that the light and fog signal were no longer needed for local navigation. The lighthouse was declared surplus property and was sold into private hands.

For some years, the Greater Portland Public Development Commission owned the lighthouse and adjacent land, and the General Electric Company leased the property and maintained a facility nearby. In 1985, Al Glickman of Spring Point Associates donated the property to the City of South Portland. The Maine Historical Preservation Commission secured $26,000 from the Lighthouse Bicentennial Fund and the South Portland / Cape Elizabeth Rotary Club; the funds paid, paying for a 1989 renovation of the lighthouse that included structural repairs and a new coat of paint.

A park has been established adjacent to the lighthouse, officially named "Bug Light Park."