Atop Munjoy Hill, Portland’s red tower still watches over Casco Bay like it’s 1807: Authorities confirm

Shutterstock

It’s America’s only one left

A tall, red-shingled wooden tower sits on top of Munjoy Hill in Portland, Maine, and it has been standing there since 1807. You can climb it, tour it and look out over Casco Bay from the same spot where a sea captain once watched for ships with a telescope. The Portland Observatory is the last maritime signal tower still standing in the entire country. A nonprofit called Greater Portland Landmarks runs it now, and the story of how it got here starts with one man and a business idea. Wikimedia Commons

A sea captain turned ship-spotting into profit

Captain Lemuel Moody started out as a water boy during the Revolutionary War. He went to sea after that and worked his way up to captain. By 1807, he had a plan. He built a tower on the best lookout perch in town and charged ship owners five dollars a year to watch for their vessels. This was not a public service. Moody ran the operation himself from the hilltop for the rest of his life, and the money kept coming in. Shutterstock

Colored flags told merchants their ship was close

The problem was simple. Ships coming into Portland could not be seen from the docks until they were practically in the harbor. Casco Bay has so many islands that they block the view. Moody set up a powerful telescope and spotted vessels up to 30 miles out. When he saw a ship, he flew colored flags that told each merchant which vessel was approaching. That extra lead time let paying customers get down to the docks and prepare before the cargo arrived. Shutterstock

It looks like a lighthouse, but it did the opposite

People show up thinking the tower is an old lighthouse, and you can see why. It is tall, tapered and shaped like a signal beacon. But a lighthouse sends light outward to guide ships in. The Portland Observatory did the reverse. It watched for ships coming toward the harbor. The docents on the tour love this mix-up. They will tell you about it with a grin, and once you hear the difference, you will not confuse the two again. Shutterstock

Stone ballast holds 86 feet of pine in place

The tower stands about 86 feet tall, built from eastern white pine with eight sides designed to handle strong ocean winds.

Around 122 tons of stone rubble sit at the base, packed in like ballast in the belly of a ship. The eight main corner posts rise about 65 feet, working like ship masts to carry the frame. Everything about the structure borrows from the sea. Moody built it the way he knew how, and that meant building it like a vessel. Shutterstock

You climb 104 stairs through seven stories

The staircase takes you up 104 steps through seven stories from bottom to top. Your guides stop at each level so you can catch your breath and hear a piece of the tower’s history. Every floor has something to tell, from the construction to the harbor’s past. The climb is steady but manageable if you take your time. By the top floor you have earned the view, and the lantern deck is waiting for you. Shutterstock

On clear days you can spot Mount Washington

Step onto the lantern deck and Casco Bay spreads out below you. Islands dot the water in every direction. You can see Back Cove behind you and the city stretching out on both sides. On a clear day, Mount Washington appears far inland, and you realize just how far this perch can see. Most people who visit say the view from the top is the best part of the whole stop. It is hard to argue with them. Shutterstock

Docents walk you through Captain Moody’s world

The guided tour runs about 45 minutes, and the docents know their material cold. They walk you through exhibits about Captain Moody, his family and how the signal flag system worked. You get to see how each flag matched a different ship and how the whole operation kept Portland’s merchants ahead of the game. Displays fill in the details about the city’s busy shipping days, when the harbor moved cargo up and down the coast. Wikimedia Commons/Padmanah

The tower kept working until 1923

The Moody family ran the tower for generations after the captain built it. For more than 100 years, someone climbed those stairs, pointed a telescope at the bay and flew the right flags. The system finally went quiet in 1923, when two-way radio made a man with a telescope on a hill unnecessary. Ship owners could talk to their captains directly. The flag signals had done the job for over a century, but technology moved on.

Read more from this brand:

Three state parks, a shipwreck, and old-growth forest walk into a small Maine town called Cape Elizabeth

America’s first sunrise hits a candy-striped lighthouse in this forgotten corner of Maine

Maine has a city on an island that most Americans have never heard of — and that’s the point

The post Atop Munjoy Hill, Portland’s red tower still watches over Casco Bay like it’s 1807 appeared first on When In Your State.

Shutterstock

Wartime watchers scanned for enemy ships

The tower pulled double duty in wartime. During the War of 1812, it served as a military watchtower overlooking the harbor. More than a century later, it went back into service during World War II, when watchers used its height to scan for enemy ships and aircraft along the coast. That high perch stayed useful long after the sailing days ended. The tower was built for commerce, but it turned out to be good for defense too. Shutterstock

Crews saved the original wood from beetles and rot

After 1923, the empty tower sat and slowly fell apart. The City of Portland eventually took it over and started repairs. A major restoration ran from 1998 to 2000, and crews fought moisture damage and a beetle infestation eating through the wood. They repaired the tower in place and replaced about 14 percent of the timber frame. Much of the original wood and stone survives today. What you see when you walk in is mostly the same tower Moody built. Shutterstock

Munjoy Hill went from open pasture to Portland’s East End

The tower sits at 138 Congress Street on Munjoy Hill. When Moody built it, the hill was open pasture with a clear line of sight to the bay. Today the neighborhood around it is one of Portland’s lively East End streets, full of homes and small businesses. The Old Port district is a short walk downhill. Even with the city built up around it, the tower remains one of the highest lookout points in Portland, still standing above the rooftops. Shutterstock

Visit the Portland Observatory in Maine

You can find the Portland Observatory at 138 Congress Street on Munjoy Hill in Portland’s East End. Guided and self-guided tours run during the warmer months, roughly late spring through mid-October. Wear good shoes for the 104-stair climb, and check the official website before you go for current hours and prices. Greater Portland Landmarks runs the site, and the docents make the history worth the trip up the hill. This article was created with AI assistance and human editing. Read more from this brand:

Three state parks, a shipwreck, and old-growth forest walk into a small Maine town called Cape Elizabeth

America’s first sunrise hits a candy-striped lighthouse in this forgotten corner of Maine

Maine has a city on an island that most Americans have never heard of — and that’s the point

The post Atop Munjoy Hill, Portland’s red tower still watches over Casco Bay like it’s 1807 appeared first on When In Your State.