Turkey Point Light
Encyclopedia
The Turkey Point Light is a historic lighthouse
at the head of the Chesapeake Bay
on the east coast of the United States
. Though it appears a short tower, the 100 ft height of the bluffs on which it stands makes it the third highest light off the water in the bay. It is also known for the large number of women who served as lightkeeper: four of the ten known keepers, serving 89 of the 115 years the light was manned.
and completed in July 1833. He followed essentially the same plan as he had used for Concord Point Light
. Acquisition of the land was delayed somewhat by a controversy over valuation.
The light originally used eleven wicks and reflectors, but in 1855 a fourth order Fresnel lens
with a single lamp was substituted, with the lantern upgraded in 1867 to fit the new lens better. The lighting arrangements were upgraded several times over the years, with electrification coming in 1942. Its automation in 1947 brought about the retirement of Fannie Salter
, the last woman lighthouse keeper in the United States.
Along with the tower, Donahoo built a keeper's house. Originally a single story, it was raised to two stories in 1889. The site also housed an unusual fog bell enclosure, built in 1888. Due to the height of the bluff, it was decided to put the bell as low to the ground as possible. To accommodate the weights for the ringing mechanism, a thirty foot well was dug and the enclosure placed over them. During World War II
a watchtower was placed atop the bell enclosure.
After automation, the tower's remote site made it a target for vandalism. An incident in which the tower was broken into and the lens stolen brought about the removal of a large section of the wooden spiral staircase and the sealing of the entry with a steel door. The keeper's house likewise decayed and was torn down in 1972.
In 2000 the light was decommissioned and turned over to the Turkey Point Light Station (TPLS) Inc., a non-profit organization which has taken over maintenance of the structure; the light was reactivated in 2002. The land around the station is today part of Elk Neck State Park
.
Lighthouse
A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses or, in older times, from a fire, and used as an aid to navigation for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways....
at the head of the Chesapeake Bay
Chesapeake Bay
The Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States. It lies off the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by Maryland and Virginia. The Chesapeake Bay's drainage basin covers in the District of Columbia and parts of six states: New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and West...
on the east coast of the United States
East Coast of the United States
The East Coast of the United States, also known as the Eastern Seaboard, refers to the easternmost coastal states in the United States, which touch the Atlantic Ocean and stretch up to Canada. The term includes the U.S...
. Though it appears a short tower, the 100 ft height of the bluffs on which it stands makes it the third highest light off the water in the bay. It is also known for the large number of women who served as lightkeeper: four of the ten known keepers, serving 89 of the 115 years the light was manned.
History
Congress appropriated $5000 for this light in early 1833, which was built by John DonahooJohn Donahoo
John Donahoo was a lighthouse builder active in Maryland for much of the first half of the nineteenth century....
and completed in July 1833. He followed essentially the same plan as he had used for Concord Point Light
Concord Point Light
Concord Point Light is a lighthouse in Havre de Grace, Maryland, 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...
. Acquisition of the land was delayed somewhat by a controversy over valuation.
The light originally used eleven wicks and reflectors, but in 1855 a fourth order Fresnel lens
Fresnel lens
A Fresnel lens is a type of lens originally developed by French physicist Augustin-Jean Fresnel for lighthouses.The design allows the construction of lenses of large aperture and short focal length without the mass and volume of material that would be required by a lens of conventional design...
with a single lamp was substituted, with the lantern upgraded in 1867 to fit the new lens better. The lighting arrangements were upgraded several times over the years, with electrification coming in 1942. Its automation in 1947 brought about the retirement of Fannie Salter
Fannie Salter
Fannie May Salter was the first female lighthouse keeper noted for her tenure at Turkey Point Light in Maryland, United States. The widow of former keeper C. W. Salter, she took over his duties at his death in 1925; when she retired, in 1947, she was the last female lighthouse keeper in the...
, the last woman lighthouse keeper in the United States.
Along with the tower, Donahoo built a keeper's house. Originally a single story, it was raised to two stories in 1889. The site also housed an unusual fog bell enclosure, built in 1888. Due to the height of the bluff, it was decided to put the bell as low to the ground as possible. To accommodate the weights for the ringing mechanism, a thirty foot well was dug and the enclosure placed over them. During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
a watchtower was placed atop the bell enclosure.
After automation, the tower's remote site made it a target for vandalism. An incident in which the tower was broken into and the lens stolen brought about the removal of a large section of the wooden spiral staircase and the sealing of the entry with a steel door. The keeper's house likewise decayed and was torn down in 1972.
In 2000 the light was decommissioned and turned over to the Turkey Point Light Station (TPLS) Inc., a non-profit organization which has taken over maintenance of the structure; the light was reactivated in 2002. The land around the station is today part of Elk Neck State Park
Elk Neck State Park
Elk Neck State Park is a park in Cecil County, Maryland. It is eight miles south of the town of North East on MD 272, and is nearest to exit 100 on I-95. The North East River, Elk River, and Chesapeake Bay form the Elk Neck Peninsula, on the southern tip of which the park rests...
.