Point No Point Light (Maryland)
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| Point No Point Light (Maryland) | |
|---|---|
 Undated photograph of Point No Point Light, Maryland (USCG) |
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| Location: | off west shore of the Chesapeake Bay, Maryland north of the mouth of the Potomac River |
| Coordinates WGS-84 (GPS) |
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| Year first lit: | 1905 |
| Automated: | 1938 |
| Foundation: | Pneumatic caisson |
| Construction: | Brick |
| Tower shape: | Octagonal |
| Height: | 52 ft |
| Original lens: | fourth order Fresnel lens |
| Range: | 9 miles |
| Characteristic: | Flashing white |
For the light in Puget Sound, see Point No Point Light (Washington).
Point No Point Light, located in the Chesapeake Bay off the eponymous point several miles north of the mouth of the Potomac River, was constructed as part of a program to add lighted navigational aids in a thirty mile stretch of the bay between Cove and Smith Points. The first request for funds to construct this light came in 1891; funds were not appropriated, however, until 1901. Due to the exposed location a pneumatic caisson base was used. This was constructed in 1902 and towed to the site in April of 1903, when it was secured to a temporary pier. As with construction of Baltimore Light, a series of mishaps followed. First, the temporary pier collapsed, breaking off two courses of iron plates from the caisson and releasing it from its mooring. The caisson was retrieved and repaired, and in October of that year was set in place. However, in February 1904 the temporary pier was again destroyed, this time by moving ice. The caisson survived without damage, and the light was first shown on April 24, 1905.
This light was automated early, in 1938. The light continued to be manned until 1962. Renovations were carried out in 1989-2001 in order to arrest deterioration of the now-unoccupied structure. In 2006, like other Maryland lights, it was made available to non-profits or government agencies who would be willing to take over maintenance, and in 2007 the offer was extended to individuals. Public auction of the light was cancelled in February 2008, however, "due to safety requirements of the U.S. Navy."
[edit] References
- Point No Point Light, from the United States Coast Guard
- Point No Point Lighthouse, Maryland from LighthouseFriends.com
- de Gast, Robert (1973). The Lighthouses of the Chesapeake. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. p. 63.
- Point No Point Lighthouse: Online auction. General Services Administration Office of Real Property Disposal. Retrieved on 2008-02-21.
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