Light Hearted

Light Hearted


Light Hearted ep 326 – Portsmouth Harbor Light, NH

September 14, 2025

Portsmouth Harbor Light Station, near the mouth of the Piscataqua River in the town of New Castle, New Hampshire, is one of the most picturesque and historic lighthouses in New England. The original wooden lighthouse on the site (1771) was the first lighthouse north of Boston. The present (1878) cast-iron lighthouse stands on the grounds of Coast Guard Station Portsmouth Harbor, neighboring historic Fort Constitution.

Portsmouth Harbor Light, NH. Photo by Jeremy D’Entremont.

The American Lighthouse Foundation (ALF) and its local chapter, Friends of Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouses (FPHL), have been managing the lighthouse since 2001. FPHL gave tours for tens of thousands of people over the years, but the tours have been curtailed in recent years due to storm damage. Joining host Jeremy D’Entremont, who is also the former chair of FPHL, are Michelle Jewell Shaw, current chair of FPHL; Bob Zimman, vice chair of FPHL; and Bob Trapani Jr., executive director of ALF.

Michelle Jewell Shaw Bob Zimman Bob Trapani Jr.