Concord Point Light

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Concord Point Light
Concord Point Light
Location:	Havre De Grace, Maryland
Coordinates WGS-84 (GPS)	39°32′26.52″N, 76°05′5.28″W
Year first constructed:	1827
Year first lit:	1827
Automated:	1920
Deactivated:	1975
Construction:	Granite
Tower shape:	Conical
Markings/Pattern:	Whitewash
Height:	36 ft (10.9m)
Original lens:	Winslow Lewis reflectors
Current lens:	5th order Fresnel lens

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 built in 1827. It was built by John Donahoo who built many lighthouses in Maryland.^[1] It is the most northerly lighthouse in Maryland and the oldest continuously operated lighthouse in Maryland.

1 Description
2 History
3 See also
4 References

[edit] Description

Concord Point Light is a 36-foot tower that was built in 1827. It is the second oldest tower lighthouse on the Chesapeake Bay and the oldest continuous lighthouse in Maryland.^{[citation needed]} The lighthouse is constructed of Port Deposit granite. The walls are 31" thick at the base and narrow to 18" at the parapet. John Donahoo also built the keeper's dwelling (known as the O'Neill House) across the street.

The lantern was originally lit with 9 whale oil lamps with 16-inch 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.

[edit] History

The O’Neill family has served as keepers at Concord Point from 1827 to the mid-1900s. The first O’Neill, John, defended the site of the lighthouse 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 Coast Guard decommissioned the lighthouse in 1975, and soon after that the lens was stolen.^{[citation needed]} Extensive restoration began in 1979, and is ongoing, with plans to turn the old keeper's dwelling into a museum.^{[citation needed]}

The lighthouse is maintained by The Friends of Concord Point Lighthouse. The tower is open to visitors Saturdays, Sundays and holidays from 1:00 p.m. until 5 p.m., May through October. The grounds are open year-round.