Lighthouses of the United States: Maryland Western Shore

Harford County Lighthouses

** Concord Point

1827 (John Donahoo). Reactivated (inactive 1975-1983, now unofficial but charted as a "private lighthouse"); focal plane 38 ft (11.5 m); continuous white light). 32 ft (10 m) round granite tower with lantern and gallery. Tower painted white, lantern black.A 2019 photo is at the top of this page, Anderson has an excellent page with good photos, Wikimedia has several photos, James Hatcher has a photo, C.W. Bash has a photo, Marinas.com has aerial photos, Lighthouse Digest has Richard Clayton's February 2003 article on the history of the light station, and Google has a street view and a satellite view. The 2-1/2 story brick and stone keeper's house, known as the O'Neill House, was restored in 1999-2000 and has been opened as a museum. Founded in 1979, the Friends of Concord Point Lighthouse organization works for restoration and maintenance of the light station. Hurricane Isabel flooded the light station and destroyed the town's waterfront boardwalk in September 2003, but this damage was repaired. In 2013 the grounds of the station were restored to a historically accurate appearance through a $40,000 grant from the Maryland Historic Trust. In 2023 the 5th order Fresnel lens on loan from the Coast Guard (believed to be the lens used here 1891-1975) was removed for display in the Keeper's House Museum. Located at Concord and Lafayette Streets in Concord Point Park, on the west side of the mouth of the Susquehanna River, in Havre de Grace. Site open, museum and tower open Saturday and Sunday afternoons April through October; group tours by appointment. Owner: City of Havre de Grace. Site manager: Friends of Concord Point Lighthouse . ARLHS USA-186.

Fishing Battery (1) 1853 (John Donahoo). Inactive since 1921. Ruined 2-story brick keeper's house with lantern and gallery on the roof. The house was originally painted white. The light was moved to a square skeletal tower in 1921, where it was tended by the keepers until automated in 1939. Garrett Roberts's 2017 photo is at right, Lighthouse Digest has a photo, Marinas.com has aerial photos, and Google has a satellite view of the station. Gravely endangered by neglect, the lighthouse is on the Lighthouse Digest Doomsday List. In the summer of 2004 Wayne Frady, of Port Deposit, Maryland, took on single-handed the task of saving this lighthouse. He painted the building, did some roof repairs, and started work on a stone seawall to slow erosion of the island -- paying for all the materials from his own pocket. Sadly, these efforts did not lead to more complete restoration. When Hilari Seery visited in May 2017 (the month after Roberts took his photo at right) she found the building near collapse and with a huge hole in its roof. John Diven's April 2018 photo is even more discouraging. Located on a tiny island in the Chesapeake about 3 mi (5 km) south of Havre de Grace. Accessible only by boat. Site and tower closed. Owner/site manager: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Susquehanna National Wildlife Refuge). ARLHS USA-287. Fishing Battery (2) 1921. Inactive since 2009. 11 m (36 ft) square steel skeletal tower. Garrett Roberts's 2017 closeup photo is at right. In recent years the tower has been a popular nesting site for ospreys. Located next to the historic lighthouse. Site and tower closed. ex-Admiralty J2368; ex-USCG 2-27630.

Fishing Battery Light, upper Chesapeake Bay, April 2017 Google Maps photo by Garrett Roberts

Upper Chesapeake Channel Range Common Rear Date unknown. Active; two range lights: (1) Cheapeake Channel (northbound) Rear, focal plane 64 ft (19.5 m); white light, 2 s on, 2 s off; (2) Shad Battery Shoal (southbound) Rear, focal plane 58 ft (18 m); white light occulting once every 4 s. There is also a passing light (focal plane 15 ft (4.5 m); white light occulting once every 4 s). 66 ft (20 m) steel mast supporting a platform with a square 1-story equipment shelter and a large bank of solar panels. Trabas has a distant view and Google has a satellite view. Located near the center of the Bay west of Worton Point on the Eastern Shore. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty J2316.1; USCG 2-8600 (northbound range), 8601 (passing light) and 8915 (southbound range). Poole's Island Range Common Rear Date unknown. Active; two range lights: (1) Poole's lsland South (northbound) Rear, focal plane 72 ft (22 m); white light occulting once every 4 s; (2) Poole's Island North (southbound) Rear, focal plane 72 ft (22 m); white light occulting once every 4 s. There is also a passing light (focal plane 27 ft (8 m); white light occulting once every 4 s). 72 ft (22 m) steel mast supporting a platform with a square 1-story equipment shelter and a bank of solar panels. Trabas has a distant view and Google has a satellite view. Located in the Bay northeast of Poole's Island. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty J2298.51; USCG 2-8560 (northbound range), 8561 (passing light) and 8700 (southbound range). Poole's Island 1825 (John Donahoo and Simon Frieze). Reactivated (inactive 1939-2011, now operated by the U.S. Army); focal plane 38 ft (11.5 m); seven white flashes, in a 4+3 pattern, every 16 s. 44 ft (13.5 m) old-style round granite tower with lantern and gallery. Tower painted white, lantern black. The keeper's house has been demolished. John Peppel's 2022 photo is at right, Robert English has a 2006 photo, Jeff Grundy also has a 2006 photo, Earl Hurst has a 2021 photo, and Google has a satellite view. This is the oldest Maryland lighthouse and the first of Donohoo's 12 lighthouses. It was abandoned when the improved channel was relocated from the west side to the east side of the island. The tower was partially restored and stabilized in 1997. In 2010 the Army carried out a more complete restoration including repairs to the masonry and lantern and installation of new, historically accurate windows. Repainting was completed by a volunteer, Tim Hamilton. A solar-powered light was installed and the lighthouse was reactivated in September 2011 in time for the tenth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. Located on the northwestern point of Poole's Island in the middle of the Chesapeake Bay northwest of Tolchester Beach. Inaccessible: the island was formerly used for bombing practice and is littered with unexploded ordnance. Site and tower closed. Owner/site manager: U.S. Army Aberdeen Proving Ground. ARLHS USA-646; Admiralty J2298.7; USCG 2-8693.

Poole's Island Light, Edgewood, July 2022 Google Maps photo by John Peppel

Baltimore County Lighthouses

A series of five ranges guide vessels into Baltimore Harbor; from south to north they are the Craighill Channel Entrance Range, Craighill Channel Lower Range, Craighill Channel Upper Range, Brewerton Channel Range, and Fort McHenry Channel Range. William P. Craighill was the Army Corps of Engineers chief engineer in Baltimore from 1865 to 1895.

Craighill Channel Lower Range Rear (Millers Island) 1873. Active; focal plane 105 ft (32 m); continuous white light, day and night. 105 ft (32 m) square cylindrical cast iron tower with lantern, double gallery, and square central cylinder. Lower half of the tower is painted white, upper half red, lantern black. The keeper's quarters, formerly incorporated in the lower part of the tower, were removed in 1938, and the original 4th order Fresnel range lens was removed in 2010 and is in storage. Jay Fleming's 2022 photo is at right, another closeup photo is available, Nick Sullivan has a 2021 closeup, Trabas has a photo, Derek Young has a good 2010 photo, Marinas.com has aerial photos, Huelse has a historic postcard view, and Google has a good satellite view and a distant street view from the end of Chesapeake Avenue in Edgemere. The tallest Maryland lighthouse, this unusual light doesn't get the attention it deserves. Endangered: the lighthouse is in very poor condition, and in January 2022 it was placed on the Lighthouse Digest Doomsday List. Located in the Chesapeake Bay just east of Ramona Beach about 3 miles (5 km) northeast of Fort Howard. Accessible only by boat. There are views from Ramona Beach or from North Point State Park. Site and tower closed. Owner/site manager: U.S. Coast Guard. . ARLHS USA-199; Admiralty J2246.1; USCG 2-8050. Craighill Channel Lower Range Front ("Craighill Light," North Point Range) 1873. Active; range light at focal plane 22 ft (7 m): white flash every 2.5 s, day and night. 42 ft (13 m) round cast iron sparkplug tower with lantern and upper and lower galleries, mounted on a concrete caisson; 250 mm lens. Lighthouse painted dark red with white trim, lantern black. This is the the second oldest caisson lighthouse in the nation and the second oldest sparkplug tower; its design, with a single-story keeper's quarters, is unique. A 2023 photo is available, Trabas has Capt. Peter Mosselberger's closeup photo, Marinas.com has aerial photos, the Coast Guard has a fine historic photo taken in 1885, and Google has a satellite view. Endangered. In 2006 the lighthouse was transferred under NHLPA to a new preservation group, Historical Place Preservation. The group hoped to restore all four Craighill Channel range lights, but its efforts were limited to a few emergency repairs and the design of a dock to allow regular access to the structure. By 2016 the group appeared to have disbanded and the government took back title to the lighthouse. In July 2017 the General Services Administration began an auction sale of the property, and in September the lighthouse sold for $96,000. The new owner was not known. No restoration work was done. In November 2023 the lighthouse was offered on an auction sale and it sold in early December for $150,000 to Richard Cucé, the owner of the Hooper Island and Wolf Trap lighthouses. The lighthouse looks terrible in Paul Dorr's 2020 photo and the 2023 drone view. Located south of the harbor entrance about 2 miles (3 km) east southeast of North Point. Accessible only by boat. There's a distant view from North Point State Park. Site and tower closed. Owner/site manager: private. . ARLHS USA-198; Admiralty J2246; USCG 2-8040..

Craighill Channel Lower Range Rear Light, Baltimore,July 2022 Instagram photo by Jay Fleming

* Craighill Channel Upper Range Front (Cutoff Channel Range Front, Fort Howard, North Point)

1886. Active; focal plane 15 ft (4.5 m); continuous red light, day and night. 18 ft (5.5 m) octagonal cylindrical brick tower on a stone foundation, painted with red and white horizontal bands. Matt Tillett has a closeup photo, Trabas also has a closeup photo, Marinas.com has aerial photos, and Google has a satellite view. The foundation was built for the former North Point Range Rear Light (established 1823). Keepers actually lived in this tiny lighthouse from 1893 until it was automated in 1929. It is not considered to be endangered but a 2020 closeup by Jennifer Crow shows spalled brickwork. Located just off North Point in Fort Howard. Accessible only by boat but there are excellent views from a waterfront trail in Fort Howard Park. Site and tower closed. Owner/site manager: U.S. Coast Guard. ARLHS USA-200; Admiralty J2252; USCG 2-8090.

Craighill Channel Upper Range Rear (Cutoff Channel Range Rear) 1886. Active; focal plane 74 ft (22.5 m); continuous red light, day and night. 90 ft (27.5 m) square cylindrical corrugated iron tower with square pyramidal skeletal bracing. Entire lighthouse painted white. The keeper's house has been demolished. Trabas has a photo, Paul Dorr has a 2020 photo, Marinas.com has aerial photos, and Google has a satellite view. The lighthouse needs repainting, at least. Located on Wharf Road on the west side of Old Road Bay in Sparrows Point, on property owned by a steel mill. Site and tower closed; there's a good view from the west end of Bay Front Road. Owner: U.S. Coast Guard. Site manager: Arcelor Mittal. ARLHS USA-201; Admiralty J2252.1; USCG 2-8095. * Fort Carroll (2) 1898 (station established 1854). Inactive since 1931 (charted as a landmark). Ruined square cylindrical wood tower with lantern. The tower was originally painted white, and the lantern black. Joe Flemke's July 2018 photo is at right, Anderson has good photos on his page, another closeup is available, David Palmer has a 2008 photo, Huelse has a historic postcard view, and Google has a satellite view. Obviously endangered, the lighthouse is on the Lighthouse Digest Doomsday List. Designed and built by Robert E. Lee in the late 1840s, the fort was abandoned by the Army in 1920. Benjamin Eisenberg purchased the island in 1958 with plans to build a casino, but nothing came of those plans. The Eisenberg family continues to own the island. The fort has become an important nesting site for herons and other water birds. Located on a small island in the Patapsco River in Baltimore Harbor, just southeast of the Francis Scott Key Bridge (I-695). Accessible only by boat. Site and tower closed. Owner/site manager: Fort Carroll LLC. ARLHS USA-290.

Fort Carroll Light, Baltimore, July 2018 ex-Google Plus photo by Joe Flemke

Baltimore City Lighthouses

Lazaretto Point (replica) 1985 reproduction of an 1831 (John Donahoo) lighthouse demolished in 1929. Inactive; a decorative light is displayed. 31 ft (9.5 m) round brick tower with lantern and gallery, very similar to the Concord Point Light (above). The tower is painted white and the lantern black. Doc Searls has a good photo, a 2022 photo is available, and Google has a satellite view. The National Archives has a historic photo of the original lighthouse and Huelse has a historic postcard view. The tower was built as a memorial to Norman Rukert, Sr., who had long advocated reconstructing the lighthouse. Although it has an authentic appearance it it is not built from original plans and has a more slender profile than the original. Lazaretto Point was the site of a U.S. Lighthouse Service depot and (later) a U. S. Coast Guard depot from 1863 to 1958. Located on the end of a pier at the entrance to Baltimore's Northwest Harbor. Site and tower generally closed (private property), although polite visitors are sometimes allowed to photograph the tower. There's a distant view from Fort McHenry across the Northwest Harbor entrance. Owner/site manager: Rukert Terminals Corporation. ARLHS USA-431. * Seven Foot Knoll (1) (relocated) 1856. Inactive since 1987; charted as a landmark. 40 ft (12 m): 1-story round cylindrical wrought iron keeper's cottage crowned by a round cylindrical lantern and gallery. Lighthouse painted dark red with green shutters, lantern black. A 2023 photo is at right, another good photo is available, Andreas Saldivar has a 2022 closeup, Michael Hansen has a nice photo, Marinas.com has aerial photos, and Google has a street view and a satellite view. An architectural landmark: this is the oldest surviving screwpile lighthouse in the U.S. and it is the only one of its design. Originally mounted on a screwpile foundation near the entrance to Baltimore Harbor (see below), the lighthouse was relocated in October 1988 to Pier 5 on the Inner Harbor waterfront, where it is now a familiar landmark. From 1993 to 1999 the lighthouse appeared frequently in the popular television police drama Homicide: Life on the Street. Located at the end of Harbor Magic Drive off Pratt Street in downtown Baltimore. Site open, tower closed at least since 2018; it remains closed for renovations. Owner: City of Baltimore. Site manager: Historic Ships in Baltimore (Seven Foot Knoll Lighthouse) . ARLHS USA-750H.

Seven Foot Knoll Light, Baltimore, March 2023 Instagram photo by Nature's Notes

**** Lightship 116 (WAL 538) Chesapeake 1930. Decommissioned 1971. 130-ton steel ship with two masts, length 133 ft (40.5 m), beam 30 ft (9 m). Hull painted red. The ship actually served as the Chesapeake, off the Virginia capes, from 1933 to 1965; it also served, previously and subsequently, at stations off the Delaware coast. A 2019 photo is at right, Isaac Mitropoulos has a 2018 photo, Marinas.com has aerial photos, and Google has a street view and a satellite view. The ship was donated to the National Park Service in 1971 and since 1982 it has been leased to the City of Baltimore and maintained by Historic Ships in Baltimore. Moored next to the National Aquarium on the Baltimore waterfront. Open daily year round (museum admission fee). Owner: National Park Service. Site manager: Historic Ships in Baltimore (LV116 Chesapeake) . ARLHS USA-167. * Fort McHenry Channel Range Rear (Locust Point) Date unknown. Active; focal plane 113 ft (34.5 m); red light, 5 s on, 5 s off, day and night, visible only on the range line. Approx. 100 ft (30.5 m) square skeletal tower, with a large locomotive-style lamp. Trabas has Capt. Peter Mosselberger's photo, Jim Elliott has contributed a photo, and Google has a street view and a satellite view. These range lights have been dropped from the Admiralty list but remain in service. Located at the foot of Hull Street, on Tides Point in the Fells Point section of Baltimore. Site open, tower closed. Owner/site manager: U.S. Coast Guard. ARLHS USA-1406; Admiralty J2289.1 (ex-J2270.1); USCG 2-8225. * Fort McHenry Channel Range Front (Fort McHenry) Date unknown. Active; focal plane 41 ft (12.5 m); green light, 3 s on, 3 s off, day and night, visible only on the range line. Approx. 39 ft (12 m) square pyramidal skeletal tower, painted black, with a large locomotive-style lamp. Avery Diamond has a 2024 photo, Trabas has Capt. Peter Mosselberger's photo, the light is behind a tree in Scott Hirschman's street view, and Google has a satellite view. Located on the grounds of historic Fort McHenry, marking the west side of the entrance to Baltimore's Inner Harbor. Site open, tower closed. Owner: U.S. Coast Guard. Site manager: U.S. National Park Service (Fort McHenry National Monument). ARLHS USA-1314; Admiralty J2289 (ex-J2270); USCG 2-8220.

Lightship 116 Chesapeake, Baltimore, August 2019 Instagram photo by carlacoffee4

* Brewerton Channel Range Rear (Leading Point) (3)

Date unknown (station established 1868). Active; focal plane 82 ft (25 m); continuous green light, day and night. Approx. 70 ft (21 m) square skeletal tower with gallery, painted black; locomotive style lamp. The Chesapeake Chapter has a page for the range lights, Trabas has a photo, and Google has a street view and a satellite view. The original lighthouse was a brick keeper's house with a light tower on the roof. It was demolished in 1924 and the light moved to a skeletal tower. In 1899 Leading Point became part of the U.S. Coast Guard's Curtis Bay Yard, a shipbuilding and repair facility. This yard continues in operation (it is the Coast Guard's only ship repair facility), but the portion of it including the light station was declared surplus in 1956 and became the site of a gypsum wallboard plant. These range lights have been dropped from the Admiralty list but remain in service. Located on Quarantine Road on Hawkins Point, 1.1 mi (1760 m) west northwest of the front light (next entry). Site and tower closed, but the light can be seen easily from the road. Owner: U.S. Coast Guard. Site manager: USG Corporation. ARLHS USA-1104; Admiralty J 2277.1 (ex-J2251.1); USCG 2-8155.

* #Brewerton Channel Range Front (Hawkins Point) (1-3) Date unknown (station established 1868). Inactive since 2015. This was a 38 ft (11.5 m) square pyramidal skeletal tower mounted on an square screwpile foundation. The Chesapeake Chapter has a page for the range lights, Justin Figel has a street view, and Google has a satellite view. The original Hawkins Point Light was a cottage screwpile lighthouse; when it was demolished in 1924 a skeletal tower was built on the screwpile foundation to carry the range light. The skeletal tower was removed in 2015 but the platform remains. Located just offshore from Fort Armistead Park, at the end of Glidden Road east of the Francis Scott Key Bridge (I-695) and opposite Fort Carroll. Accessible only by boat, but there is a closeup view from shore. Site and tower closed. Owner/site manager: U.S. Coast Guard. ARLHS USA-083. Brewerton Channel Range Front (4) 2015. Active; focal plane 25 ft (7.5 m); continuous green light, day and night. 25 ft (7.5 m) square cylindrical skeletal tower carrying a square platform with an enclosed equipment shelter, mounted on a round concrete pier. Tower painted yellow, equipment room white. Trabas has Capt. Peter Mosselberger's photo and Scott Hendricks has a street view from inside the light and Google has a satellite view. The new light is on the original range line about 1/2 mi (800 m) east southeast of the original light station. Accessible only by boat. ARLHS USA-1103; ex-Admiralty J2277 (ex-J2251); USCG 2-8150. Anne Arundel County (Annapolis Area) Lighthouses Seven Foot Knoll (2) 1987 (station established 1856). Active; focal plane 58 ft (17 m); flash every 6 s, white or red depending on direction. 16 m (52 ft) square cylindrical skeletal tower, mounted on a round concrete platform supported by a single robust pile. A second platform carries solar panels, and the foundation ruins of the original screwpile lighthouse can be seen next to the tower. Trabas has Capt. Peter Mosselberger's photo (also seen at right) and Google has a satellite view. The historic lighthouse was relocated in 1988 to downtown Baltimore (see above). In July 2019 the Chesapeake Chapter placed a historical display in nearby Fort Smallwood Park to tell the story of the lighthouse. Located on a shoal in the entrance to Baltimore Harbor, about 4 km (2.5 mi) northeast of Bodkin Point. Accessible only by boat but visible from the park. Site open, tower closed. Owner/site manager: U.S. Coast Guard. ARLHS USA-750H; Admiralty J2248; USCG 2-8120.

1987 Seven Foot Knoll Light, Baltimore photo copyright Capt. Peter Mosselberger; used by permission

Tolchester Channel Range Rear Date unknown. Active; focal plane 89 ft (27 m); white light, 3 s on, 3 s off; also a quick-flashing white passing light at a focal plane of 25 ft (7.5 m). 89 ft (27 m) mast with two galleries; there is a small equipment shelter on the lower gallery. Mast painted orange, equipment shelter white. No photo available but Google has a satellite view. The front light is on a 23 ft (7 m) platform. This range guides vessels southbound from the upper Cheapeake Bay. Located near the center of the bay about 5.4 km (3.3 mi) east of the Craighill Channel Entrance Range Rear Light (next entry). Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS USA-1432; Admiralty J2250.111; USCG 2-8443. Craighill Channel Entrance Range Rear Date unknown. Active; focal plane 88 ft (27 m); continuous white light; also a white passing light (2 s on, 2 s off) at a focal plane of 15 ft (4.5 m). 88 ft (27 m) mast with two galleries; there is a small equipment shelter on the lower gallery. Mast painted orange, equipment shelter white. Trabas has Capt. Peter Mosselberger's photo and Google has a satellite view. The front light is on a 27 ft (8 m) platform. Located off Bodkin Neck about 4.5 m (7 km) north northwest of the Baltimore lighthouse. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS USA-1435; Admiralty J2227.91; USCG 2-8000. Baltimore (Baltimore Harbor) 1908 (William H. Flaherty). Active; focal plane 52 ft (16 m); white flash every 2.5 s (red sector covers nearby shoals). 38 ft (11.5 m) octagonal 3-story brick keeper's house, with a lantern and gallery centered on the roof, mounted on an iron caisson; 300 mm lens. Lighthouse painted white, roof and lantern black; caisson is red. Sibling of Point No Point (see below). Adam Brockett's 2022 photo is at right, Collin Laque has a 2021 photo, Mark Jefferies has a 2016 photo, Kenya Allmond also has a 2016 photo, Trabas has Capt. Peter Mosselberger's closeup photo, and Google has a satellite view. This lighthouse has interesting late Victorian architecture and a caisson that reaches 82 feet (25 m) below the waterline. The last traditional lighthouse to be built on the Chesapeake Bay, it was built to mark the beginning of the dredged channels leading to Baltimore. In 2003-04 it was offered for transfer under NHLPA but no applications for ownership were received. In 2006 the lighthouse was sold on eBay for $260,000. The buyer is a partnership of four couples; they established a charitable organization and began working to restore the building. Located off Gibson Island in the Chesapeake southeast of Baltimore Harbor. Accessible only by boat; best seen from cruises from Annapolis. Site open, tower open to group tours (reservations required). Owner/site manager: Baltimore Harbor Light . ARLHS USA-034; Admiralty J2228; USCG 2-8035.

Baltimore Harbor Light, Chesapeake Bay, July 2022 Flickr Creative Commons photo by Adam Brockett

Sandy Point Shoal 1883. Inactive since 2019. 37 ft (11 m) octagonal 3-story Empire style brick keeper's house mounted on an iron caisson and surmounted by a short lantern; solar-powered 300 mm lens. Lighthouse painted red, roof white. The lantern is black, caisson dark red. The original 4th order Fresnel lens was smashed by vandals in the 1970s. Jonathan Sullivan has a nice photo, Trabas has a photo, Marinas.com has aerial photos, and Google has a satellite view. This lighthouse has a unique design. It was repaired by the Coast Guard in 1988-90 but remained in need of thorough restoration. In 2004 it was offered for transfer under NHLPA but no applications for ownership were received. In 2006 the lighthouse was sold at auction for $250,000. The new owners began working to restore the lighthouse and recent photos show some progress; Ben Schuman's 2021 photo and shows scaffolding around the building and the September 2022 photo at right shows good progress on restoring the exterior. Located in the Chesapeake on the north side of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge (US 50). Accessible only by boat; best seen from cruises from Annapolis but there's a distant view from Sandy Point State Park. Site and tower closed. Owner/site manager: Sandy Point Shoal Lighthouse . ARLHS USA-733; ex-Admiralty J2214; ex-USCG 2-7990. Sharps Point (replica) 1993. Active (privately maintained); focal plane 58 ft (17.5 m); white flash every 10 s. Replica of a cottage screwpile lighthouse (similar to Thomas Point Shoal Light), painted white with a red roof, attached to 2-story slate-roofed house, also painted white. Dan Hatcher has contributed a photo, Trabas has a photo, and Google has a satellite view. The two buildings were used formerly as a bed and breakfast inn, but this facility closed and the house is now a private residence. As of June 2016 the property was for sale for $1.925 million; it sold for $1.31 million. Located at the end of Sharps Point Road east of Annapolis. Site and tower closed. Owner/site manager: private. ARLHS USA-924; Admiralty J2212.08; USCG 2-20067. #Greenbury Point Shoal (2) 1892. Removed in 2008. The original lighthouse, a hexagonal cottage screwpile, was replaced in 1934 by a square pyramidal steel skeletal tower built on the original screwpile foundation. Marinas.com has aerial photos but the hexagonal platform is no longer seen in Google's satellite view. Formerly located in the mouth of the Severn River marking the entrance to Annapolis Harbor. Accessible only by boat. ARLHS USA-354; ex-Admiralty J2209; ex-USCG 2-19725.

Sandy Point Shoal Light, Annapolis, September 2022 Google Maps photo by S S

* [Triton] 1960s. Active (maintained by U.S. Navy); focal plane 25 ft (7.5 m); 9 green flashes every 30 s, the flashes grouped in a unique 4+5 pattern. The light is displayed atop a triangular cylindrical ornamental pedestal on a concrete base. A closeup photo is available, Trabas has a view from the river, and Google has a satellite view. This light honors the U.S. Navy nuclear-powered submarine Triton, which circled the globe submerged in 1960. The light characteristic honors the Class of 1945, which sponsored the placement of the light. Located on the point of land at the eastern end of the Naval Academy campus, where Spa Creek joins the Severn River. Site open. Owner/site manager: U.S. Naval Academy. Admiralty J2210; USCG 2-19780. ** Thomas Point Shoal 1875. Active; focal plane 43 ft (13 m); white flash every 5 s (2 red sectors cover nearby shoals). 48 ft (15 m) cottage screwpile lighthouse with hexagonal 1-1/2-story wood keeper's cottage with lantern and gallery centered on the roof; solar-powered 250 mm lens. Lighthouse painted white with a red roof; lantern is black. Fog horn (2 s blast every 15 s). The original 4th order Fresnel lens is displayed at the Coast Guard district headquarters in Baltimore. The lighthouse carries a NOAA C-MAN automatic weather station. A Laura Frost's 2023 photo is at right, an April 2008 photo is available, Trabas has a photo, Marinas.com has aerial photos, and Bing has a satellite view. This is one of the best known Chesapeake lighthouses and one of only two cottage screwpile lighthouses in the nation still on their original stations. The last lighthouse on the Chesapeake to be automated (1986), it is recognized as a National Historic Landmark. The lighthouse was saved from demolition by public protests in 1972. In 2000 volunteers from the Chesapeake Chapter of the U.S. Lighthouse Society replaced the modern windows with historically accurate windows. On 1 May 2004 a consortium including the U.S. Lighthouse Society, the City of Annapolis and the Annapolis Maritime Museum took ownership of the lighthouse under NHLPA. Tours from the maritime museum began on 7 July 2007. In May 2007 the Jeld-Wen Company announced that the lighthouse would receive new doors and windows as the co-winner of a national competition. The lighthouse was gradually restored over the following decade in projects totaling about $500,000. In 2018 the lighthouse was awarded a state grant of $100,000 for restoration and repair of the iron foundation. This work was underway in late 2019, although additional funding was needed to address problems discovered during the project. Located in the Chesapeake off the entrance to South River, south of Annapolis. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower open to guided tours from the Annapolis Maritime Museum on selected Saturdays during the summer and early fall (reservations required). Owner: City of Annapolis. Site manager: Thomas Point Shoal Lighthouse Partnership (Thomas Point Shoal Lighthouse) . ARLHS USA-845; Admiralty J2204; USCG 2-7760.

Thomas Point Shoal Light, Annapolis, December 2023 Instagram photo by Laura Frost

Calvert County (Solomons Area) Lighthouses

*** Cove Point 1828 (John Donahoo). Active; focal plane 45 ft (14 m); white flash every 10 s. 51 ft (16 m) round cement-clad old-style brick tower with lantern and gallery, 4th order Fresnel lens (1897; installed here in 1928). Lighthouse painted white, lantern and gallery black. Fog horn (2 s blast every 15 s). The 2-story brick keeper's house, used as Coast Guard housing until recently, is in good condition. Fog signal building (1904) with original bell. Active diaphone fog signal (1976). The first floor of the keeper's house is original; the second floor was added in 1883. A 2022 photo is at right, C.W. Bash has a good photo, Karl Agre has a 2011 closeup, Addison Likins has an excellent photo, and Trabas has a fine closeup. This is a historic and well-preserved light station, still manned as late as 1986. The lighthouse is endangered by beach erosion, which has been controlled so far with protective riprap; grants in 2000-01 helped improve and repair the barrier. Marinas.com aerial photos and a Google satellite view show the situation well. Calvert County received title from the U.S. Coast Guard in 2000; the Calvert Marine Museum opened the base of the tower for tours in May 2001. A 2001 grant from the Maryland Historical Trust supported removal of lead-based paint from the interior. In 2008 another state grant funded a restoration of the tower. In 2011-12 the keeper's house was restored and renovated; later in 2012 it became available for vacation accommodations. Located at the end of MD 497 in Cove Point. Site and the base of the tower open in the afternoons, daily June through August and on weekends and holidays in May and September; site closed at other times. Owner: Calvert County. Site manager: Calvert Marine Museum (Cove Point Lighthouse ). ARLHS USA-195; Admiralty J2104; USCG 2-7630.

Cove Point Light, Solomons, October 2022 Google Maps photo by James C

**** Drum Point (1)

1883. Inactive since 1962. 47 ft (14 m) cottage screwpile lighthouse with octagonal 1-story keeper's house; lantern and gallery centered on the roof. The original 4th order Fresnel lens is on display. Building painted white, lantern and gallery black; roof is red. A 2023 photo is at the top of this page, Laura Inglis has a 2022 photo, Michelle Barkdoll has a 2010 closeup, a good 2009 photo is available, Marinas.com has aerial photos, and Google has a street view and a satellite view. After suffering badly from vandalism, the lighthouse was relocated in 1975 a few miles west to the Calvert Marine Museum in Solomons; the museum has a page for the lighthouse. The museum has completely restored the lighthouse and furnished it with period antiques. The wood railings and some walkways were replaced in 2000. The museum is on Solomons Island Road (MD 2) just south of Lore Road. Site and tower open daily (museum admission fee). Owner/site manager: Calvert Marine Museum (Drum Point Lighthouse ). ARLHS USA-235H; ex-Admiralty J2086.

Solomons Island Research Pier

Date unknown. Active (privately maintained); focal plane 20 ft (6 m); yellow flash every 4 s. Post atop a 1-story pierhead building. Trabas has a photo and Google has a street view and a satellite view. Located at the end of long pier at Sandy Point in Solomons. Site and tower closed. Owner/site manager: University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science. Admiralty J2087; USCG 2-18900.

St. Mary's County Lighthouses

[Cedar Point] 1896. The ruins of the historic lighthouse were demolished in 1996 but the foundations remain, surrounded by riprap. No photo available but Google has a satellite view. The light has been replaced by a lighted bell buoy at the end of the Cedar Point Shoal. Located just off the point, formerly marking the south side of the entrance to the Patuxent River estuary. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS USA-1020H; buoy: USCG 2-18870. * [Cedar Point (lantern)] 1896. Inactive since 1928. The lighthouse, originally located on a tiny island off Cedar Point at the southern entrance to Patuxent River, was on the Lighthouse Digest Doomsday List until it was finally demolished in 1996. The Chesapeake Chapter has a page for the light station and a photo of the sad condition of the keeper's house before demolition. Portions of the keeper's house were donated to the Calvert Marine Museum. The lantern (removed by the Navy in 1981) is displayed on the grounds of the Patuxent River Naval Air Museum. In 2003 Navy Seabees volunteered to build a new one-story wood base (designed after the original light tower) on which the lantern is displayed. C.W. Bash has a closeup photo taken in January 2007, and Google has a street view and a satellite view. Located on MD 235 at Pegg Road in Lexington Park. Site open daily. Owner/site manager: Patuxent River Naval Air Museum. ARLHS USA-1020M. Point No Point 1905. Active; focal plane 52 ft (16 m); white flash every 6 s. 38 ft (11.5 m) octagonal 3-story brick keeper's house, mounted on an iron caisson and surmounted by a short lantern and gallery; 375 mm lens. Lighthouse painted white with a black roof; lantern is black, caisson red. A 2023 photo is at right, Jim Davis has a closeup photo, Trabas has a photo by Anderson, Chris Williamson posted a 2008 photo, Marinas.com has aerial photos, and Bing has a satellite view. In 2001 the Coast Guard replaced the roof of the lantern room and repaired deteriorated beams and floors inside the building. In 2006 the lighthouse became available for transfer or sale under NHLPA but no applications were received. The General Services Administration began an online auction of the lighthouse but the sale was cancelled when the Navy realized that the lighthouse is a boundary marker for one of their training ranges. In 2015 the lighthouse was repaired and repainted by the Coast Guard, but it needs additional attention today. Located in the Chesapeake about 6 miles (9 km) northeast of Point Lookout. Accessible only by boat. Owner/site manager: U.S. Coast Guard. . ARLHS USA-630; Admiralty J1974; USCG 2-7560.

Point No Point Light, Chesapeake Bay, August 2023 Instagram photo by Chesapeake Towns

* Point Lookout (1) 1830 (John Donahoo). Inactive since 1965; charted as a landmark. Square 2-story keeper's house surmounted by a short octagonal tower with lantern and gallery. Lighthouse painted white with a red roof; light tower and lantern painted bright red. The 1889 fog bell tower is on display at the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum in St. Michael's, on the Eastern Shore. Tony Pasek's photo is at right, a 2022 closeup photo is available, and Google has a street view and a satellite view. This is the oldest surviving integral lighthouse in the U.S. The building was substantially expanded in 1883, when the second story was added and the light tower was raised from 24 ft (7.5 m) to 41 ft (12.5 m). The lighthouse was previously endangered: after the state relinquished a lease on the building in 1980 the Navy allowed the property to deteriorate. In May 2002 the state paid $450,000 to purchase the light station to add it to Point Lookout State Park. Rehabilitation of the exterior began in October 2002. In 2006 the state acquired the land around the lighthouse in a land swap with the Navy. A major restoration project began in 2018 and was completed in fall 2021. The lighthouse grounds are open but the building remains closed pending future development of a museum. Located on an exceptionally narrow point of land at the end of MD 5 in Point Lookout, where the Potomac meets the Chesapeake. Parking available close to the lighthouse. Site open, building and tower closed. Owner: State of Maryland. Site manager: Point Lookout State Park (Point Lookout Lighthouse) . ARLHS USA-628. Point Lookout (2) 1965 (station established 1830). Active; focal plane 12 m (39 ft); two white flashes every 5 s. 12 m (39 ft) square cylindrical skeletal tower, painted white, mounted on a robust square platform supported by piles. Trabas has a photo, and Marinas.com has aerial photos, but the light is inconspicuous in Bing's satellite view. Located in the mouth of the Potomac River about 1 km (0.6 mi) south of the historic lighthouse. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Owner/site manager: U.S. Coast Guard. ARLHS USA-1409; Admiralty J1800; USCG 2-7525.

Point Lookout Light, April 2022 photo copyright Tony Pasek, USLHS Chesapeake Chapter; used by permission

Potomac River Lighthouses

The Potomac River forms a broad estuary on the boundary between Maryland and Virginia, widening to a width of 11 mi (17 km) at the mouth. The royal charter of 1632 creating the Maryland colony placed the border between Maryland and Virginia at the high tide mark on the Virginia shore. As a result all the offshore lights of the Potomac are in Maryland.

St. Mary's County Lighthouses

**** Piney Point 1836 (John Donahoo). Inactive since 1964; charted as a landmark. 35 ft (10.5 m) round old-style brick tower. Original 2-story stucco-clad brick keeper's house (expanded in 1884)and a modern Coast Guard house (1950). Museum and gift shop. is at right, Anderson has a good page with many photos, Andy Romanofsky has a closeup photo, Bash has a 2006 photo, and Google has a satellite view and a street view of the station entrance. The tower was restored in 2003-04 and in 2004 the lighthouse was opened for climbing. After the station was flooded by Hurricane Isabel in 2003 the museum was relocated to a modern building on the north side of the park area and reopened in the spring of 2005. In 2022 Congress allocated $1.9 million to restore and protect the shoreline around the lighthouse. Various sources have claimed that the light station was used as a presidential summer retreat in the 19th century but research has shown that this is not correct. Located on the Potomac at the end of Lighthouse Road, off MD 249 in Piney Point. Site open daily, museum and tower open daily year round except for Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve, and Christmas Day. Accessible by road and there is also a pier for visitors who arrive by boat. Owner: St. Mary's County. Site manager: St. Mary's County Museums (Piney Point Lighthouse Museum and Historic Park ). ARLHS USA-601. Ragged Point 1910. Active; focal plane 44 ft (13.5 m); white flash every 6 s. The lighthouse, a hexagonal cottage screwpile, was demolished in 1962. The current light is a steel skeletal tower built on the original foundation. Trabas has a photo and Bing has a satellite view. The original 4th order Fresnel lens is on display at the Highland Lighthouse on Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Located just off the Virginia shore about 2.5 miles west of Piney Point. Accessible only by boat. Visible from a marina at the end of secondary route 728 in Coles Point, Virginia. Site and tower closed. Owner/site manager: U.S. Coast Guard. ARLHS USA-685; Admiralty J1824; USCG 2-16940.

Piney Point Light, Piney Point, October 2018 Facebook photo by Piney Point Lighthouse Museum

* Blackistone (Blakistone) Island (St. Clement's Island) (replica) 2008 replica of 1851 lighthouse. Inactive. Approx. 13 m (42 ft) round tower with lantern and gallery centered on the roof of a 2-1/2 story keeper's house. Lighthouse painted white. Samit Korgaonkar's 2020 photo is at right, Jackie Wolgamott has a 2022 closeup, Sandie Finn has a good 2008 photo, a second 2008 photo is available, Vicki Lashton has a 2009 closeup, Geoff Hargreaves has a street view, and Google has a satellite view. The original lighthouse was deactivated in 1932 and burned by vandals in 1956. The replica was built by St. Clement's Hundred, a nonprofit organization that preserves and administers St. Clement's Island, the site of the first English landing in Maryland. The reconstruction took two years and $800,000 in grants and contributions. The dedication of the building was held June 22, 2008. Located on St. Clement's Island in the Potomac just off Colton's Point. Water taxi service to the island is available on Saturdays and Sundays from the St. Clement's Island Museum on the mainland. Site open, tower closed. Owner: Maryland Dept. of Natural Resources (St. Clement's Island State Park). Site manager: Blackistone Lighthouse Foundation . ARLHS USA-060. Wicomico River Entrance (Cobb Point Bar, Cobb Island Bar) (2) 1889. Inactive. The lighthouse, a square cottage screwpile, was demolished in 1940 after being heavily damaged by fire in 1939. It was replaced by a square skeletal tower mounted on the original square screwpile platform. Trabas has a photo and the platform can be seen in a Google satellite view. The active light (focal plane 18 ft (5.5 m); green flash every 4 s) has been moved to a pile beacon about 225 m (750 ft) southeast; the skeletal tower is listed as a daybeacon. Located off Cobb Island at the western entrance to the Wicomico River. Accessible only by boat; visible from many points on the south side of Cobb Island (end of MD 254). Site and tower closed. Owner/site manager: U.S. Coast Guard. ARLHS USA-989; USCG 2-17260. Active light: Admiralty J1856; USCG 2-17255.

Blackistone Island Light, St. Clement's Island, June 2020 Google Maps photo by Samit Korgaonkar

Charles County Lighthouses

Lower Cedar Point (3)

1896 (station established 1867). Active; focal plane 38 ft (11.5 m); green flash every 2.5 s. The current light is a steel skeletal tower built on the foundation of the 1896 cottage screwpile lighthouse, which replaced an earlier lighthouse (1867) destroyed by fire on Christmas Day 1893. The cottage lighthouse was demolished in 1951. Trabas has a photo and Google has a satellite view. This was formerly a lightship station; Confederate raiders burned a lightship here in 1861. Located in the middle of the river between Lower Cedar Point, Maryland, and Dahlgren, Virginia. Accessible only by boat. Visible from Cedar Beach on the Maryland side and from the Harry Nice Bridge (US 301) over the river. Site and tower closed. Owner/site manager: U.S. Coast Guard. ARLHS USA-458; Admiralty J1877.5; USCG 2-17710.

Mathias Point Shoal (2) 1876. Active; focal point 44 ft (13.5 m); green flash every 6 s. 44 ft (13.5 m) square skeletal mast mounted on the platform of the original lighthouse, a hexagonal cottage screwpile of unusual design. The historic lighthouse was demolished in 1963. Jim Elliott has contributed a photo of the present light and a historic photo of the original lighthouse, and the light can be seen in a Google satellite view. As seen in the satellite photo, protective rip rap barriers have been placed to the east and west of the light. Located off the Virginia shore at Mathias Point north of Dahlgren. Accessible only by boat. Visible from the Mt. Bethel Recreation Center, near the end of secondary route 624 at Matthias Point VA. Site and tower closed. Owner/site manager: U.S. Coast Guard. ARLHS USA-483; Admiralty J1900; USCG 2-17765.   Maryland Point (2) 1892. Active; focal point 42 ft (13 m); white flash every 6 s (two red sectors cover nearby shoals). The lighthouse, a hexagonal cottage screwpile, was removed in 1963. The current light is a steel skeletal tower built on the original foundation. Trabas has a photo and Bing has a satellite view. A rotating mechanism from the original lighthouse is displayed at the Bodie Island Lighthouse visitor center near Nags Head, North Carolina. Located in the middle of the river between Wellington Beach MD and Fairview Beach VA. Accessible only by boat; visible from Wellington Beach off MD 224. Site and tower closed. Owner/site manager: U.S. Coast Guard. ARLHS USA-990; Admiralty J1912; USCG 2-17895. Prince George's County (Washington Area) Lighthouse * Fort Washington (2) 1882 (station established 1857). Inactive since 2020. 32 ft (10 m) trapezoidal pyramidal wood fog bell tower with an open enclosure now containing the bell and a navigation light. The original 6th order Fresnel lens is on display at the Museum of Chincoteague Island in Chincoteague, Virginia. Tower painted white. The keeper's house (1885) has been demolished. The orange triangular daymark on the front of the lighthouse was removed when the light was deactivated. Justin Holmstrom's 2023 photo is at right, Trabas has a photo, a 2017 photo is available, Eric Morris has a street view, and Google has a satellite view. This is the only surviving fog signal tower of its type on the Chesapeake. The light station was established with a post light in 1857; the light was moved into the 1882 fog bell tower in 1901. The Coast Guard has a historic photo of the station as it appeared in 1913. Volunteers from the Chesapeake Chapter of the U.S. Lighthouse Society restored the tower beginning in 1997. In 2020 the light was moved offshore to a small beacon (focal plane 18 ft (5.5 m); red flash every 6 s) seen in a Google satellite view. Located in Fort Washington Park on the upper Potomac opposite Mount Vernon, Virginia. Site open, tower closed. Owner: U.S. National Park Service. Site manager: Fort Washington Park. . ARLHS USA-302. Active light: Admiralty J1952; USCG 2-18560.

Fort Washington Light, Fort Washington, March 2023 Google Maps photo by Justin Holmstrom

Information available on lost lighthouses:

• Bodkin Island (1822-1914), Chesapeake Bay off the south side of the entrance to Baltimore. The lighthouse was replaced by the Seven Foot Knoll lighthouse in 1856. The tower collapsed in 1914 and the island has since disappeared. ARLHS USA-991.
• Greenbury Point (1849-1892?), Severn River entrance, Western Shore. Replaced in 1892 by the Greenbury Point Shoal Light, described above. ARLHS USA-1388.
• Leading Point (1868-1924), Baltimore Harbor. This rear range lighthouse was replaced by the Brewerton Range Rear Light. ARLHS USA-084.
• North Point Range Lights (1823-1886?), Baltimore Harbor. These lights were replaced by the Craighill Channel Upper Range lights. ARLHS USA-1290 (rear light).
• Upper Cedar Point (1867-early 2000s), Potomac River. The original lighthouse, a square cottage screwpile, was demolished in 1963. A skeletal tower was then placed atop the platform, but sometime before 2009 the platform was removed. ARLHS USA-867.

Notable faux lighthouse:

Adjoining pages: North: Southeastern Pennsylvania | East: Maryland Eastern Shore | South: Virginia

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Checked and revised August 8, 2024. Lighthouses: 41. Lightships: 1. Site copyright 2024 Russ Rowlett and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.