Craighill Channel Upper Range Rear Light
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| Craighill Channel Upper Range Rear Light | |
|---|---|
| Location: | East side of Sparrows Point on the north shore of the Patapsco River |
| Coordinates WGS-84 (GPS) |
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| Year first lit: | 1886 |
| Automated: | 1929 |
| Foundation: | stone |
| Construction: | iron skeleton tower |
| Tower shape: | pyramidal with square central shaft |
| Height: | 64 ft |
| Characteristic: | Fixed red (originally white) |
The Craighill Channel Upper Range Rear Light is one of a pair of range lights that marks the second section of the shipping channel into Baltimore harbor.
[edit] History
This light was constructed in 1885 as part of a range light pair to mark the then newly-excavated Craighill Cutoff Channel. A modest iron skeleton tower was erected, pyramidal in form with a wooden, corrugated iron-sheathed square shaft at its center to house the lamp and the access stairway. Its only architectural ornaments were a few windows to light the stairwell and a gallery to allow the outside of the light's window to be cleaned. A keeper's house was built nearby, connected to the light by a brick walk. The original light was a locomotive headlight displaying a fixed white light; this has since been replaced with a more conventional fixture displaying a red light.
The grounds were (and are) surrounded by private property, and in 1888 there was a dispute over access to the light. Other than that the light has passed a quiet life, punctuated only by automation in 1929 and the demolition of the keeper's house. It is still an active aid to navigation.
[edit] References
- Maryland Light Stations, from the United States Coast Guard website
- Craighill Range Lighthouses, from the Chesapeake Chapter of the United States Lighthouse Society
- Craighill Channel Upper Rear Lighthouse at lighthousefriends.org
[edit] External links
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