Cape Elizabeth’s Portland Head Light was completed in 1790 and first lit on January 10, 1791. The Keeper’s Cottage that stands in this image was constructed in 1891. The Portland Head Light was the first lighthouse completed under the U.S. federal government and sits along the coast in Fort Williams Park. At the time this postcard was produced, Frank O. Hilt, who notably added a giant checkerboard at the tower base, was keeper.

Portland Head played a role in the American Revolution in 1776 when soldiers situated themselves there to warn citizens that British attacks were imminent. In 1787, the Massachusetts legislature provided money for the beginning of lighthouse construction at Portland Head, with George Washington commissioning local masons Jonathan Bryant and John Nichols to spearhead the effort using materials from nearby fields and shores. Nichols completed the work when Bryant resigned after being asked to increase the height of the tower for visibility.

The caption reads, "Portland Head Light -- First lighthouse erected by the United States of America."

The Tichnor Brothers printing company published this type of postcard circa 1938.