Observatory

Imagine the world of 1807 as you ascend the wooden tower of the Observatory floor by floor, following Captain Lemuel Moody's footsteps. Gaze out the windows and imagine scenes of Portland Harbor 200 years ago, the view Captain Moody saw looking through his telescope at the top of the tower, spotting a ship on the horizon, identifying its flag, and raising the signal flags to announce the arrival of a brigantine coming into port. Today, as then, flags flap in the breeze and the salty sea air invites you to experience an authentic Maine maritime experience.

Captain Lemuel Moody (1768-1846) ordered construction of this octagonal, 86-foot high tower to serve as a communication station for Portland's bustling harbor. In 1807, ships entering the harbor could not be seen from the docks of Portland until they rounded the point at Spring Point Ledge. With his powerful telescope, Moody, sea captain turned entrepreneur, identified incoming vessels as far away as 30 miles. For a fee, he alerted subscribing merchants by hoisting signal flags identifying their vessels. He coined the phrase "signalizing" to describe the system.

The Observatory was built on Munjoy Hill at the eastern end of the Portland peninsula as it offered the best view of the Atlantic Ocean. Moody built his house and other buildings near the tower. The complex included a banquet and dance hall as well as a bowling alley. From the time it opened in 1807, the Observatory was a tourist attraction that drew local residents and travelers alike.

The tower ceased its signalizing operations in 1923, and has been owned by the City of Portland since 1937. In 1936 the Portland Observatory was included in the Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS), and in 1939 the tower was restored as a Works Progress Administration (WPA) project under President Franklin Roosevelt's New Deal programs of the Great Depression.

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