Upper Cedar Point Light
Encyclopedia
The Upper Cedar Point Light was a screw-pile lighthouse
in the Potomac River
in Maryland
. It was first lit in 1867 and served, except for a brief period of inactivity, until being dismantled in 1963.
since 1821. In 1867 a small square screw-pile structure was constructed at the site. It served until 1876, when the Mathias Point Light was constructed to the east. The Lighthouse Board received numerous complaints, however, and reactivated the light in 1882. It remained active until 1963, when it was dismantled and replaced with a small automatic tower mounted on the original foundation.
Upper Cedar Point Light was tended by a black keeper
and assistant keeper for a time in the 1870s, one of the few American
lighthouses to be so served.
Screw-pile lighthouse
A screw-pile lighthouse is a lighthouse which stands on piles that are screwed into sandy or muddy sea or river bottoms. The first screw-pile lighthouse was built by blind Irish engineer Alexander Mitchell...
in the Potomac River
Potomac River
The Potomac River flows into the Chesapeake Bay, located along the mid-Atlantic coast of the United States. The river is approximately long, with a drainage area of about 14,700 square miles...
in Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
. It was first lit in 1867 and served, except for a brief period of inactivity, until being dismantled in 1963.
History
The station had been served by a lightvesselLightvessel
A lightvessel, or lightship, is a ship which acts as a lighthouse. They are used in waters that are too deep or otherwise unsuitable for lighthouse construction...
since 1821. In 1867 a small square screw-pile structure was constructed at the site. It served until 1876, when the Mathias Point Light was constructed to the east. The Lighthouse Board received numerous complaints, however, and reactivated the light in 1882. It remained active until 1963, when it was dismantled and replaced with a small automatic tower mounted on the original foundation.
Upper Cedar Point Light was tended by a black keeper
Lighthouse keeper
A lighthouse keeper is the person responsible for tending and caring for a lighthouse, particularly the light and lens in the days when oil lamps and clockwork mechanisms were used. Keepers were needed to trim the wicks, replenish fuel, wind clockworks and perform maintenance tasks such as cleaning...
and assistant keeper for a time in the 1870s, one of the few American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
lighthouses to be so served.