Portland ship captain and entrepreneur, Captain Lemuel Moody (1786-1846) built the 86′-0″ high tower on Munjoy Hill as a communication station for ships entering Portland Harbor. The tower, known as the Portland Observatory could spot ships as far away as 30 miles. When ships who subscribed to his service were sighted Moody would fly specific flags to inform workers and owners that their ships would soon enter port and need unloading. Many Black residents worked on the ships and docks and would have relied on the Observatory for information about when ships were coming in and needing to be unloaded.
Photo from Maine Historical Society Vintage Images
The Greater Portland Landmarks provides tours of the Observatory seasonally