Discover the last remaining pre-civil war lighthouses on the East Coast!
Travel through time and explore the rich history of Annapolis’ lighthouses. These eastern seaboard landmarks have been preserved and maintained by private and public partnerships and are accessible to the public for most of the year. Make it a weekend trip and take a boat tour from the Baltimore Harbor Light all the way down to the Thomas Point Shoal Light.
Location: Accessible only by boat on Magothy River, south entrance to
Craighill Channel
Type: Caisson with octagonal brick dwelling/light tower
Operational: 1908
Height: 52 feet above mean high water
For over one hundred years, Baltimore Harbor Light has guided northbound vessels to the Port of Baltimore, and southbound vessels on their way to the Atlantic Ocean. Located just north of the mouth of the Magothy River, Baltimore Harbor Light sits 1.5 nautical miles off the shore of Gibson Island, where it marks the southern entrance to the Craighill Channel. – via Baltimore Harbor Light Website
Location: Magothy River, north of Annapolis near Sandy Point State Park
Type: Caisson with octagonal brick dwelling/light tower
Operational: 1858 (newer tower, 1883)
Height: 51 feet above mean high water
The current structure replaced an ornate, land-based light that became inadequate because of its distance from the expanding shoal. Cost-cutting measures resulted in the construction of a smaller-than-planned brick tower. Still, it can be seen from both the water near the Chesapeake Bay Bridge and the shore of Sandy Point State Park. – via Charms of the Chesapeake Website
Location: South of Annapolis, above the mouth of the South River
Type: Hexagonal screwpile
Built: 1825 (newer tower, 1875)
Height: 43 feet above mean high water
The Annapolis Maritime Museum is one of four partners in a consortium that took over ownership of the beautiful Thomas Point Shoal Lighthouse. The Museum joined the Chesapeake Chapter of the U.S. Lighthouse Society, the City of Annapolis and Anne Arundel County to manage and preserve this beloved National Historic Landmark. Built in 1875, last screwpile lighthouse on the Bay still in its original location, one-and-a-half miles offshore in the Chesapeake Bay at the mouth of the South River. Conservation and restoration are an ongoing, goal of the partnership as well as the aim to make the lighthouse accessible to the public. Docent-led tours aboard the lighthouse are offered each summer. – via Maritime Museum Annapolis Website
Images and Sources: Donna Designs
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