Category: Heritage-Maryland

Keeper Bio: O’Neill, Esther

Date of Service: 1863 – 1881 1797: Born in Fulton County, New York. 1830s: Marries John O’Neill, Jr. The couple have seven children, one of whom died as an infant. The remaining six children are Martha, Mary, Virginia, Charles Zelotes, Indiana, and Henry. 1861: Esther’s husband, John O’Neill, Jr. is appointed Keeper at Concord Point …

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Keeper Bio: O’Neill, Jr., John

Date of Service: 1861 – 1863 1800: Born in Havre de Grace, Maryland to John and Mary O’Neill Sr. 1830s: Marries his wife Esther, from Fulton New York and have 7 children, one of whom died as an infant. The remaining six children are Martha, Mary, Virginia, Charles Zelotes, Indiana, and Henry. 1860: Lives in …

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Greenbury Point Lighthouse

In 1846, the Maryland House of Delegates passed a resolution to construct a lighthouse in Greenbury Point on the north side of the entrance to the Severn River & Annapolis Harbor. On March 3, 1847, $3,500 was appropriated to construct the lighthouse. The land for the lighthouse was purchased at a price of $367.000 and …

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Timeline: Greenbury Point Lighthouse

1846: The Maryland House of Delegates passes a resolution to construct a lighthouse on Greenbury Point on the north side of the entrance into the Annapolis Harbor, Maryland. 1847: Congress appropriates $3,500 on March 3, to construct a lighthouse at the harbor of Annapolis, Maryland. 1848: The lighthouse is completed and first lighted in December. …

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Timeline: North Point Range Lights

Lighthouses

1819: Congress appropriates $9,000 on March 3, for the construction of two lighthouses on North Point and one on Bodkin Point. 1820: Congress appropriates an additional $6,600 on May 15. 1822: Congress appropriates an additional $6,600. 1822: Two stone masonry lighthouses are built on the northern entrance to the Patapsco River to help guide mariners …

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North Point Range Lights

On March 3, 1819, Congress appropriates $9,000 to construct a lighthouse on the Bodkin and two lighthouses on North Point at the mouth of the Patapsco River, Maryland. Additional funds were appropriated in 1822 and 1823. When the two lights at North Point were lined up one above the other, mariners knew that they were …

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Brewerton Channel Range Lights

Lighthouses

The two Brewerton Channel Range Lights were lighted on November 1, 1868. One structure was near Hawkins Point and the other on Leading Point. Together they marked the Brewerton Channel in the Patapsco River into Baltimore. The channel and range lights were named after Henry Brewerton, an engineer who had worked on defenses around Baltimore …

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Timeline: Leading Point Lighthouse

1866: Congress appropriates $30,000 on July 28, 1866, to construct two lights to mark Brewerton Channel, on the Patapsco River, Maryland. The front light is to be built on a shoal at Hawkins Point and the rear light is to be built on Leading Point, a total of 1-1/8 mile apart. 1867: On December 16, …

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Leading Point Lighthouse

On July 28, 1866, Congress appropriated $30,000 to construct two lights that would mark the Brewerton Channel on the south shore of the Patapsco River approaching Baltimore Harbor. The rear light, Leading Point, was built on a high bluff of land approximately one mile from the front light, Hawkins Point, built on a shoal in …

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Keeper Bio: Thomas, Barney Crockett

Date of Service: 1917 – 1950 1896: Born on February 4 in Tangier, VA to John W. and Emma (Crockett) Thomas.1917: Married Ella H. Crockett on September 16. Couple raises six children; two sons – Everett and Hanson; and four daughters – Emma, Catherine, Violet, and Doris. 1917: Serves aboard the Coast Guard cutter Apache.1917 …

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Keeper Bio: Salter, Fannie Mae

Date of Service: 1925 – 1947 1882: Born in Mathews County, VA. 1904: Marries Clarence Walter “Harry” Salter. Had three children – two daughters – Jessie Olga Salter Crouch and Mabel Salter Best; one son – Charles Bradley Salter. 1922: Husband serves as Keeper of Turkey Point Lighthouse, North East, Maryland. 1925: Keeper Salter passes …

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Keeper Bio: Salter, Clarence Walter

Date of Service: 1894 – 1925 1877: Born in Mathews County, VA 1894 – 1903: Serves at Old Plantation Flats Lighthouse. 1904: Married Fannie May Hudgins. Had three children – two daughters – Jessie Olga Salter Crouch and Mabel Salter Best; and one son – Charles Bradley Salter. 1903 – 1908: Serves at York Spit …

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Keeper Bio: Sadler, Charles Linwood

Date of Service: 1944 – Retirement 1906: Born on June 12 in Mathews County, VA.1928: Married Mabel Martha Diggs. Raises four children.Joined Coast Guard buoy tender after a career of commercial boating.1944 – 1953: Serves as civilian First Assistant Keeper at Cove Point Lighthouse, Lusby, Maryland. Sadler and his family live in station’s three-story keeper’s …

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Keeper Bio: O’Neill, John

Keepers

Date of Service: 1827 – 1838 1768: Born in Ireland on November 23. 1786: Immigrated to America at age 18. Works as a gunsmith. 1794: Served in the militia during Whiskey Rebellion. 1790s: Marries Mary Virginia O’Neill and moves to Havre De Grace.  Manages a nail factory and serves as town commissioner. Has five children …

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Keeper Bio: Lewis, Frank Raymond

Date of Service: 1922 – 1948   1894: Born on November 23 in Mathews, VA.   1917 to 1919: Serves as a Corporal in the U.S. Army during    WWI in France; 7th Company, 154th Depot Brigade based in  Camp Meade.1921: Marries Clementine Ware Forrest on April 25 in  Norfolk, VA. Couple raises two children – …

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Keeper Bio: Kelly, William James

Date of Service: 1918 – 1945 1900: Born on January 29 to William S. Kelly and Bertha Wallace Kelly.1918 – 1920: Begins Lighthouse Service. Serves as Assistant Keeper at Old Plantation Flats Lighthouse (VA) – an off-shore screwpile lighthouse on the Eastern Shore of the Bay, southwest of Cape Charles City, VA. His salary was …

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Keeper Bio: Crewe, Floyd Earl

Date of Service: 1930-1968 1908: Born on November 16 in Mathews County, VA.1930: Marries Melva Sadler on June 21. The couple raises three children.1930: Joins the U.S. Lighthouse Service. Serves as a seaman on Diamond Shoals Lightship #105.1933: Survives 150 mph winds of Chesapeake-Potomac hurricane. The Lightship is swept off course 5 miles.1937: Transferred to …

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Keeper Bio: Nelson Stanley Atherton

Date of Service: 1937-1965 1903: Born March 30 in Hallieford, Mathews County, VA.1920: Begins service in the Merchant Marine and as a crew member on the Steamer Pennsylvania. The vessel stopped at Old Point Comfort Lighthouse in route between Cape Charles and Norfolk, VA.1929: Married Arlys Hurst on August 26. The couple raises one daughter, …

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Timeline: Hawkins Point Lighthouse

1866: Congress appropriates $30,000 on July 28, 1866, to construct two lights to mark Brewerton Channel, on the Patapsco River, Maryland. The front light is to be built on a shoal at Hawkins Point and the rear light is to be built on Leading Point, a total of 1-1/8 mile apart. 1867: Construction begins on …

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Hawkins Point Lighthouse

On July 28, 1866, Congress appropriated $30,000 to construct two lights that would mark the Brewerton Channel on the south shore of the Patapsco River approaching Baltimore Harbor. The rear light, Leading Point, was built on a high bluff of land approximately one mile from the front light, Hawkins Point, built on a shoal in …

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Timeline: Upper Cedar Point Lighthouse

Timeline: A screwpile lighthouse located on the Potomac River in Maryland 2 miles west of Mathias Point. 1867: A white, square, screwpile lighthouse was constructed to replace lightships. It was equipped with a 5th order Franklin type Fresnel lens and hand operated fog bell. 1867: Keeper James Treakle complained that the boat was too large …

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Timeline: Craighill Channel Lower Range Front Light

(Also known as Craighill Light [Channel named after William Craighill of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and member of the Lighthouse Board] and North Point Range Light. Located off shore, two miles east/southeast of North Point – updated 5/27/2020 1870: Major dredging and enlarging of the channel. 1873: Construction of caisson crib at Havre …

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Timeline: Craighill Channel Lower Range Rear

Craighill Channel Lower Range Rear LighthouseTimeline (Also known as Miller’s Island Lighthouse. Located off-shore, east of Ramona Beach, three miles northeast of Fort Howard– 07/20/14) 1870 Major dredging and enlarging of channel. 1873 60-foot square cofferdam built around site in two feet of water. Foundation piles driven into muddy bottom. Topped with lattice of timbers. …

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Timeline: Choptank River Lighthouse

Choptank Replica

Choptank River Lighthouse (Replica) Timeline (Located at the end of Pier A – Long Wharf Park – Water and High Streets, Cambridge, MD) (08/03/13) 1870 Lightship Choptank River – 41-ton wooden schooner stationed at site while screwpile under construction. 1871 Hexagonal screwpile lighthouse built at Lazaretto Depot, Baltimore, MD , moved by barge and stationed …

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Timeline: Lazaretto Point Lighthouse (Replica)*

Lazaretto Point Lighthouse Timeline (Located at pier at Lehigh Cement Corporation – at entrance to Baltimore Harbor – eastern end of I-95 bridge over the Patapsco River – 07/19/14) 1831 Original 31 foot tall brick tower and keepers house built by John Donahoo on grounds of closed smallpox hospital known as Lazaretto Point. Fitted with …

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Timeline: Fort Carroll Lighthouse

Fort Carroll Lighthouse Timeline (Located on Fort Carroll Island in the middle of the Patapsco River– southwest of Key Bridge – 07/20/14) 1848 Brevet-colonel Robert E. Lee of the Army Corps of Engineers selected to supervise construction of fortress on man-made island.. 1850 Island named after Charles Carroll – last living signer of the Declaration …

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Timeline: Craighill Channel Upper Range Rear Lighthouse

Craighill Channel Upper Range (Cut-Off Channel) Rear Lighthouse Timeline (Located on mainland – head of Old Road Bay. On Wharf Road at Sparrows Point Bethlehem Steel Plant -07/21/14) 1886 70-foot white square corrugated ironclad light supported by pyramidal iron framework built on brick foundation .Fitted with 4th-order locomotive light. Six-room wood and brick cottage-style keeper’s …

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Timeline: Craighill Upper Range Front Light

Craighill Channel Upper Range Front (Cut-off Channel) Lighthouse Timeline (Located within 350 feet off North Point; 1.3 miles southeast of the Upper Rear light, on the north side of the mouth of Patapsco River, near Fort Howard, just off Veterans Administration property – 07/21/14) 1886 22 foot tall, two story octagonal brick tower built on the …

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Timeline: Turkey Point Lighthouse

(Located in Elk Neck State Park, Cecil County, MD – the tallest focal plane of any MD lighthouse –- Home to four women keepers – Revised 02/07/2021) 1833 Thirty-five foot masonry tower and wooden keepers’ quarters built by John Donahoo on 100-foot bluff overlooking the Elk and North East Rivers. 1856 Fourth-order Fresnel lens visible …

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Timeline: Thomas Point Shoal Lighthouse

Thomas Point Lighthouse - Can you tell if the pickets are new or old?

(The last manned lighthouse of the Chesapeake Bay) 1825 First lighthouse, a granite tower, built 100 feet inland on seven acre parcel by John Donahoo. Fitted with Argand style lighting apparatus. 1840 Second lighthouse, a masonry tower built by Winslow Lewis. 1st tower demolished. 1855 Lamp replaced by 5th order Fresnel lens. 1875 Third and …

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