Concord Point Light

Concord Point Light is a lighthouse in Havre de Grace, Maryland, United States, overlooking the point where the Susquehanna River flows into the Chesapeake Bay, an area of increasing navigational traffic at the time it was constructed in 1827. It was built by John Donahoo, who built many lighthouses in Maryland.[4] It is the northernmost lighthouse on the Chesapeake Bay.

Concord Point Light
Concord Point Light
LocationConcord and Lafayette Streets, Havre de Grace, Maryland
Coordinates39°32′26.52″N 76°5′5.28″W
Year first constructed1827
Year first lit1827
Automated1920
Deactivated1975-1983
ConstructionGranite
Tower shapeConical
Markings / patternWhitewash
Tower height36 feet (11 m)
Focal height11.5 metre 
Original lensSixth-order Fresnel lens
Current lensFifth-order Fresnel lens
CharacteristicFixed white
ARLHS numberUSA-186

[1]

[2]
Heritageplace listed on the National Register of Historic Places 
Havre de Grace Lighthouse
Area0.1 acres (0.040 ha)
ArchitectJohn Donohoo
NRHP reference No.76000999[3]
Added to NRHPApril 2, 1976

Description

Concord Point Light is a 36-foot (11 m) tower that was built in 1827. It is the second oldest tower lighthouse still standing on the Chesapeake Bay. The lighthouse is constructed of Port Deposit granite. The walls are 31 inches (790 mm) thick at the base and narrow to 18 inches (460 mm) at the parapet. John Donahoo also built the keeper's house across the street.[5]

The lantern was originally lit with 9 whale oil lamps with 16-inch (410 mm) tin reflectors. In 1854, a sixth-order Fresnel lens was installed. This was later upgraded to a fifth-order Fresnel lens. The lighthouse was automated in 1920.

History

Several members of the O'Neill family served as keepers at Concord Point from 1827 to the mid-1900s. There were other keepers not related to the O'Neills who served as well. The first O'Neill, John, defended the town of Havre de Grace by manning a cannon battery on Concord Point during the War of 1812. Local documents describe the lighthouse area as being "seriously blighted" by 1924, and apparently remained that way for many years. The lighthouse was decommissioned by the Coast Guard in 1975 and soon after that the lens was stolen. The structure was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976. Extensive restoration work began in 1979, the keeper's house has since been restored, and is open to the public as a museum. The lantern room of the tower now has a new fifth-order Fresnel lens on loan from the coast guard that was installed in 1983. Concord Point Light is currently listed as a private aid to navigation.[6]

See also

References
  1. "Historic Light Station Information and Photography: Maryland" (PDF). United States Coast Guard Historian's Office.
  2. Rowlett, Russ. "Lighthouses of the United States: Maryland". The Lighthouse Directory. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
  3. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
  4. Simms, William Q. (April 2001). "Two Lights on the Hill". Lighthouse Digest. Retrieved 2006-12-28.
  5. W. M. Whittington (November 1975). "National Register of Historic Places Registration: Havre de Grace Lighthouse" (PDF). Maryland Historical Trust. Retrieved 2016-01-01.
  6. "Concord Point Lighthouse". Lighthouse Friends. Retrieved September 19, 2017.
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