Drum Point Light facts for kids
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| Drum Point Light, Calvert Marine Museum, December 2008 | |
 Drum Point Light
Location in Maryland
Drum Point Light
Location in the United States
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| Location | originally off Drum Point at the mouth of the Patuxent River in the Chesapeake Bay; relocated to the Calvert Marine Museum |
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| Coordinates | 38°19′08″N 76°25′16″W / 38.319°N 76.421°W (approximate original); 38°19′52″N 76°27′47″W / 38.331°N 76.463°W (current) |
| Year first lit | 1883 |
| Automated | 1960 |
| Deactivated | 1962 |
| Foundation | screw-pile |
| Construction | cast-iron/wood |
| Tower shape | hexagonal house |
| Height | 46 feet (14 m) |
| Original lens | fourth-order Fresnel lens |
| Range | 12 nautical miles (22 km; 14 mi) |
The Drum Point Light is a unique lighthouse. It's one of only three Chesapeake Bay lighthouses that still stand on screw-piles. These lighthouses are built on long metal screws drilled into the seabed. This one was first located near Drum Point, where the Patuxent River meets the Chesapeake Bay. Today, you can visit it as an exhibit at the Calvert Marine Museum.
Contents
History of the Drum Point Light
Early Plans for a Lighthouse
People started asking for a lighthouse at Drum Point a long time ago. The first official request came in the 1840s. In the 1850s, money was set aside, and some surveys were done. However, there were disagreements between the state of Maryland and the federal government about who owned the land. Because of this, the plans for the lighthouse were stopped.
If it had been built then, it would have been one of the first screw-pile lighthouses in the bay. Even though steamship operators kept asking for a light, nothing happened for many years.
Building the Lighthouse in 1883
Finally, in 1882, $25,000 was approved to build the lighthouse. The next year, a piece of land about five acres big was bought offshore. The original plan was to build two lights, but there wasn't enough money for that.
Instead, a single screw-pile lighthouse was built. Its parts were made in advance at a place called Lazaretto Point. The lighthouse was put together in about a month. It first shone its light in August 1883.
Challenges and Changes Over Time
The lighthouse was needed because the water around Drum Point was becoming very shallow. This is called shoaling. Over time, the shoreline shifted so much that by 1970, the lighthouse, which was once in ten feet of water, was completely on land! Around 1900, a small bridge was built from the lighthouse to the shore. This allowed the lighthouse keeper's family to live with him inside the light.
Unlike many other lighthouses of its kind, the Drum Point Light was lucky. It didn't get damaged by ice. However, a big storm in 1933 flooded the house and sank the boat used to reach it.
Light Signals and Automation
When it first started, the lighthouse showed a steady red light. In 1889, dark areas were added to the light's beam. This helped ships know exactly where they were. In 1911, the light changed to a steady white light with red areas.
The lighthouse was updated in 1944 to use electricity. Then, in 1960, it became automated. This meant a keeper was no longer needed to operate it.
Deactivation and Relocation
The Drum Point Light was stopped in 1962. A lighted buoy first replaced it, and then a fixed light offshore. Unlike other lighthouses that were torn down after being stopped, the Drum Point Light was simply left empty.
The Calvert County Historical Society tried to get the lighthouse as early as 1966. They finally got it in 1974, but the federal government still owned the land it sat on. Luckily, with some money and help from a construction company, the lighthouse was cut from its foundation. It was then moved by a large boat to its current home at the Calvert Marine Museum.
Restoration and Museum Exhibit
Many grants and donations helped restore the lighthouse. People even donated furniture from the time it was active. The lighthouse was officially opened as a museum exhibit in June 1978.
It's also fortunate that all the lighthouse's logbooks from 1883 to 1943 still exist. These books give us a wonderful look into what life was like for a lighthouse keeper back then.
More Information
- Dodds, Richard J. "Drum Point Lighthouse - Its Origins Revisited" in Bugeye Times - the Quarterly Newsletter of the Calvert Marine Museum. Vol 18, No. 4 (Winter 1993/1994). You can find an online copy here.
- Drum Point Light, Calvert County, including a photo from 1984, at the Maryland Historical Trust.
