Point No Point Light (Maryland)

Point No Point Light, located in the Chesapeake Bay off the eponymous point several miles north of the mouth of the Potomac River, was constructed as part of a program to add lighted navigational aids in a thirty-mile stretch of the bay between Cove and Smith Points.

Point No Point Light
Undated photograph of Point No Point Light, Maryland (USCG)
Locationoff west shore of the Chesapeake Bay, Maryland north of the mouth of the Potomac River
Coordinates38.128°N 76.29°W / 38.128; -76.29
Year first constructed1905
Year first lit1905
Automated1938, but remained manned until 1962
FoundationPneumatic caisson
ConstructionBrick
Tower shapeOctagonal
Tower height12 metre 
Focal height52 ft (16 m)
Original lensoriginal: fourth order Fresnel lens
current: 14.8 inches (375 mm)
Range9 nautical miles (17 km; 10 mi)
CharacteristicFlashing white 6 sec
Fog signalHorn, 1 every 30 sec
Admiralty numberJ1974
ARLHS numberUSA-630
USCG number2-7560 [1][2][3]
Heritageplace listed on the National Register of Historic Places 
Point No Point Light Station
Nearest cityDameron, Maryland
Arealess than one acre
Built byToomey Brothers, New York
MPSLight Stations of the United States MPS
NRHP reference No.02001425[4]
Added to NRHPDecember 2, 2002
For the light in Puget Sound, see Point No Point Light (Washington).

History

The first request for funds to construct this light came in 1891; funds were not appropriated, however, until 1901. Due to the exposed location a pneumatic caisson base was used. This was constructed in 1902 and towed to the site in April 1903, when it was secured to a temporary pier. As with construction of Baltimore Light, a series of mishaps followed. First, the temporary pier collapsed, breaking off two courses of iron plates from the caisson and releasing it from its mooring. The caisson was retrieved and repaired, and in October of that year was set in place. However, in February 1904 the temporary pier was again destroyed, this time by moving ice. The caisson survived without damage, and the light was first shown on April 24, 1905.[5]

Although the light was automated in 1938, it continued to be manned until 1962. Renovations were carried out in 1989–2001 in order to arrest deterioration of the now-unoccupied structure. In 2006, like other Maryland lights, it was made available to non-profits or government agencies who would be willing to take over maintenance, and in 2007 the offer was extended to individuals. Public auction of the light was cancelled in February 2008, however, "due to safety requirements of the U.S. Navy."

Notes
  1. "Historic Light Station Information and Photography: Maryland" (PDF). United States Coast Guard Historian's Office.
  2. Light List, Volume II, Atlantic Coast, Shrewsbury River, New Jersey to Little River, South Carolina (PDF). Light List. United States Coast Guard. 2012. p. 71.
  3. Rowlett, Russ. "Lighthouses of the United States: Maryland". The Lighthouse Directory. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
  4. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  5. D. M. Hanley (n.d.). "National Register of Historic Places Registration: Point No Point Light Station" (PDF). Maryland Historical Trust. Retrieved 2016-01-01.

References

Media related to Point No Point Light (Maryland) at Wikimedia Commons

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