Portland — Smugglers' Lighthouse Secrets

Your investigation begins at the Maine State Pier, a terminal built in 1923 and extended in the 1930s to accommodate up to 2,000 passengers daily. Owned by the City of Portland since 1984, this site offers an ideal vantage point over the Atlantic Ocean and the Portland Head Light, 2 nautical miles away. It's here, among cruise ships and remnants of the 2006 Tall Ships Festival, that you spot the first signs of suspicious activities, a strategic starting point to understand the extent of illicit trade that marked Maine's history.

Continue to Portland's Custom House, a federal building completed in 1872 in the Second Empire style, designed by architect Alfred B. Mullett. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973, this four-story building with its red brick facade and mansard roof, located at 312 Fore Street, was the heart of customs control. In the 19th century, it was the bulwark against maritime smuggling, a challenging task in this active port. The archives of this place hold crucial clues for your mission through the Old Port district.

The path then leads you to the Old Port, a historic district of Portland rebuilt after the Great Fire of 1866 which destroyed 1,800 buildings. Its 18th-century brick-paved streets were the center of maritime trade and a hub for alcohol smuggling during Prohibition (1920-1933). Designated a historic district on the National Register in 1981, this area houses over 100 buildings predating 1920. It's here, among the old stones, that you uncover the secret passages and codes used by smugglers to evade Portland's authorities.

Approaching Monument Square, you discover a central square established in the 18th century, site of the Falmouth Courthouse burned by the British in 1775. At its center stands the equestrian statue of Major General Peleg Wadsworth, sculpted in 1865 and inaugurated in 1907, a hero of the Revolutionary War (1748-1823). This site was also the scene of historical gatherings and abolitionist speeches in the 1840s. Although Wadsworth fought for freedom, Portland's smugglers used symbols and discreet meetings in this square to orchestrate their illicit trades.

Your journey concludes at Fort Allen Park, a 5-acre park on East End Beach, site of Fort Allen built in 1775 to defend Portland. Reinforced in 1863 during the Civil War with 100-pound cannons, its coastal batteries offer panoramic views of Casco Bay. This park, named after Colonel John Allen (1700-1750s), is a testament to Maine's military heritage. Smugglers used these viewpoints to monitor incoming patrols, and it's here that you unmask the network's leader. Your mission to unravel Portland's 'Smugglers' Lighthouse Secrets' is complete, revealing a rich and complex history of this Atlantic port.