Stage Island Monument Lighthouse

Completed in 1825, the Stage Island Monument is a 19-meter round conical tower constructed from unpainted rubblestone. It stands on the northeast point of Stage Island, approximately 2 kilometers west of the Wood Island lighthouse and 0.2 kilometers from the port of Portsmouth. The initial construction faced a setback when the first tower collapsed before completion due to a poor foundation, resulting in a builder's death. Originally serving as an unlit daybeacon, the monument now emits a single white flash every six seconds. The site is accessible by boat, though the tower itself is closed to the public.

Why it matters: The monument marks the hazardous northeast point of Stage Island, a location where the brig Hesper wrecked in 1821. Its unpainted rubblestone construction represents an early 19th-century architectural style for coastal markers.