Cape Elizabeth Lighthouse

Cape Elizabeth Light, commonly known as “Two Lights,” is a historic lighthouse located at the southwestern entrance to Casco Bay in Cape Elizabeth, Maine. Established in 1828, the station originally featured twin rubble stone towers spaced 300 yards apart to help mariners determine their position. In 1874, both were replaced with cast-iron conical towers standing 67 feet tall and 129 feet above sea level. The western tower was deactivated in 1924 and is now privately owned, while the eastern tower remains an active aid to navigation, emitting a group of four white flashes every 15 seconds, visible up to 15 nautical miles.

Cape Elizabeth Light is renowned for its dramatic coastal setting and has inspired artists like Edward Hopper, whose 1929 painting “The Lighthouse at Two Lights” was featured on a U.S. postage stamp in 1970. The lighthouse is not open to the public, but it can be viewed from nearby Two Lights State Park, which offers scenic vistas of Maine’s rugged coastline.

A notable event in the lighthouse’s history occurred in January 1885, when Keeper Marcus A. Hanna heroically rescued two sailors from the schooner Australia during a blizzard. For his bravery, Hanna received both the Gold Lifesaving Medal and the Medal of Honor, making him the only person in U.S. history to receive both awards.

Cape Elizabeth Light was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1974.