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The Lure of Lighthouses
Beacons of the Chesapeake Beckon Visitors
by D. Kersten

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Few buildings ignite our imaginations like the lighthouse. Lonely outposts surrounded by water, these elegant structures inspire curiosity, nostalgia and, perhaps, our secret desire to escape society. What would life have been like, we wonder, with so little contact with people and so much with the sea?

The Chesapeake and its tributaries still contain dozens of lighthouses, though many more once guided sailors on their way. These are not only regional landmarks; they are national treasures.

The most familiar to Annapolis boaters is the Thomas Point Shoal Light near the entrance to the South River-a much-loved sight. When the United States Coast Guard declared in 1972 that it would dismantle the structure, its devotees rallied and succeeded in preventing the plan.

The Thomas Point Shoal Light became a historic landmark in 1975 and today is the last of the Chesapeake's screwpile lights, or lighthouses that rest on stilt-like iron posts screwed deep into the ground. Its hexagonal cottage-style house with wrap-around porch and red roof bespeaks a bygone era, but few realize what a marvel of engineering it represents.

The tenacious structure, which was first set alight in November of 1875, has survived even though its screwpile design was not originally deemed strong enough to withstand the ice floes that destroyed other lighthouses. A sturdier caisson lighthouse, with a hefty base sunk into the sand, was recommended, but the plan was too expensive. Thomas Point was later buttressed by large piles of stone installed in 1886 and 1887 to protect it from ice and other forces. Fully automated, the lighthouse still helps warn ships of the shoal.

While Thomas Point, which sits about a mile from the shore, can really only be observed by boat, Sandy Point Shoal Light-a caisson lighthouse completed in October 1883-is much easier to view. It stands about 1,000 yards off Sandy Point State Park near the Chesapeake Bay Bridge.

To build this caisson lighthouse, a huge iron cylinder was filled with stone and concrete-except for a space reserved for storage of fuels and water- and sunk into the sand to form the foundation. On top of this base, the Sandy Point Shoal Light has an octagonal, three-story brick building. Living quarters filled the first two floors, and the third served as watch space.

A keeper lived at Sandy Point until the light was automated in 1963, after which time it suffered vandalism, including a smashed Fresnel lens. In recent years the Coast Guard has repaired and restored the lighthouse.

The Baltimore Harbor Lighthouse at the mouth of the Magothy River was built in 1908, making it one of the youngest lighthouses on the Chesapeake. It was also one of the most difficult to build due to a layer of mud 55 feet below ground, which made it difficult to implant the caisson. In 1964, when the light was automated, it became the world's first lighthouse powered by atomic energy.

The Sevenfoot Knoll Lighthouse, which for years signaled the entrance to Baltimore harbor from the mouth of the Patapsco River, was moved in 1988 to its current spot at Pier 5 in the Inner Harbor. This lighthouse, which the Washington Post likened to "a big tuna can on screwpile stilts," hosts visitors and educational programs.

Down at Solomons Island, the Calvert Marine Museum maintains Drum Point Lighthouse, a screwpile lighthouse that once marked the mouth of the Patuxent River. In 1975, after being listed on the National Register of Historic Places, it was moved to shore. It had fallen into disrepair, but the 1883 structure, which looks much like Thomas Point Lighthouse, has been beautifully restored and furnished. It is open to museum visitors throughout the year.

Probably the most interesting lighthouse to visit, though, is the 1828 Cove Point Lighthouse, the oldest Maryland lighthouse in continuing operation. Though the Coast Guard oversees the daily operation of the lighthouse, the Calvert Marine Museum owns the property, and the museum takes visitors to the lighthouse by shuttle bus during the warmer months.

The facility includes a tower light, a separate keeper's house (which was expanded to serve as a home for two families), a smaller house for a third keeper and an office building on two acres that was originally purchased for $300. The light was automated in 1986 but is still in service, which means the top of the tower is off-limits to visitors. Tours resume in May; call the museum for times and information.

St. Mary's County boasts three lighthouses-Piney Point, Point No Point and Point Lookout-making the trip south worthwhile for lighthouse lovers. Local legend holds that Point Lookout, where the Potomac enters the bay at Point Lookout State Park, is haunted-perhaps by prisoners from the Confederate army who were held here during the Civil War.

Sidebar:

Seeing the Lights

During the warmer months, Watermark Cruises of Annapolis offers regularly scheduled Bay Lighthouse boat tours that pass Thomas Point Shoal Lighthouse, Sandy Point Lighthouse and Baltimore Harbor Lighthouse. The 2 hour, 45 minute trip departs on Sundays and selected Mondays. A 90 minute Thomas Point Lighthouse Cruise is also offered. For dates and details, call 410-268-7601. The Chesapeake Chapter of the U.S. Lighthouse Society also sponsors trips; see their website at www.cheslights.org

Other Nearby Lighthouses:

Hooper Strait Lighthouse at the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum in St. Michael's (the lighthouse celebrates its 125th anniversary this year; see www.cbmm.org)
Bloody Point Lighthouse off the southern tip of Kent Island
Sparrows Point Lighthouse at the mouth of the Susquehanna River near Havre de Grace
Turkey Point Lighthouse at Elk Neck State Park
Solomons Lump Lighthouse near Crisfield

For more information on Chesapeake lighthouses, check out www.cheslights.org or www.uslhs.org or pick of a copy of Maryland Lighthouses of the Chesapeake Bay, Bay Beacons or Lighting the Bay.