New Hampshire has two coastal lighthouses along its short Atlantic coastline. The Portsmouth Harbor lighthouse was original established in 1771. The lighthouse was repainted in 1998 by the Coast Guard in order to remove all the lead paint. Friends of Portsmouth Harbor Light, a support group works for the restoration and preservation of the lighthouse station. In 2006 the light station walkway was rebuilt to improve access and in 2010 it was repainted with money raised from the support group. It stands 52 feet high with a continuous green light. A 48 foot cast iron tower with lantern and gallery is painted in white.
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The other lighthouse is located on the Isles of Shoals which is also known as White Island. It was established in 1821, and is situated in a group of 18 islands and rocks 9 miles southeast of Portsmouth. It stands 58 feet tall and is made of brick. It has a lantern and gallery. It boasts a 190 mm solar powered lens and the lighthouse is painted in white with the lantern in black. It operates non stop and by 2001 the lighthouse was in such poor condition that it was placed on the Lighthouse Digest Doomsday list in March of 2002. A group called the Lighthouse Kids lobbied successfully for $125,000 to repair the cracked and riddled lighthouse in 2003 so that it could be restored. The same year a federal grant for restoration in the amount of $250,000 was granted and another $50,000 grant was received. In 2005 the lighthouse was completely restored. Unfortunately, in 2007 in May a powerful nor’easter known as the Patriot’s Day storm damaged the newly restored lighthouse.
