Point Lookout Lighthouse at Point Lookout State Park in St. Mary’s County, Maryland. Credit: A.J. Metcalf/ Maryland DNR
After extensive renovations and exhibit installations, the historic Point Lookout Lighthouse at the southern tip of Point Lookout State Park in St. Mary’s County is ready to welcome the public.
Visitors will be able to tour the lighthouse five days per week–from Thursday through Monday–beginning on Thursday, May 15. The Park Service plans to use this schedule until September and lighthouse hours will be dependent on seasonal staffing availability.
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) began the renovation of the lighthouse in 2017 after previously acquiring it from the U.S. Navy in a land swap deal in 2006. The property required extensive renovations that included stabilizing the structure, repairing leaks, replacing dry wall and timbers, rebuilding stairways, and re-finishing the former living quarters.
After that, crews installed new exhibits and artifacts to transport visitors to the early 20th century when lightkeepers still manned the light to guide ships away from the shallow waters that extend off the coast of Point Lookout, where the Potomac River meets the Chesapeake Bay. The extensive renovation efforts and exhibits cost an estimated $5 million.
An educational display inside the newly renovated Point Lookout Lighthouse includes information about the light that helped sailors navigate. Credit: A.J. Metcalf, Maryland DNR
DNR also renovated the coal and buoy sheds next to the lighthouse. When the lighthouse was in operation, the Coast Guard used the north shed to repair buoys that would later be transported to waterways to direct vessel traffic, while the south shed housed coal for heating and transportation uses.
“There are two things that make the Point Lookout Lighthouse unique,” said Point Lookout State Park Complex Manager Dawn Letts. “One is that it’s the oldest integral lighthouse standing in the country. The other is the presence of the coal and buoy sheds. Typically, when lighthouses were automated, those sheds were removed. In this case, the U.S. Navy maintained them while they were using the property and can now be shared with the public.”
Aerial view over the Chesapeake Bay of the Point Lookout Lighthouse, Coal Shed, Buoy Shed, and Point Lookout State Park in St. Mary’s County Maryland. Credit: A.J. Metcalf, Maryland DNR
Inside the lighthouse, visitors will find period pieces such as antique furniture and an early radio as well as detailed exhibits that tell the story about what life was like for the lighthouse keepers and their families.
Point Lookout Lighthouse was built in 1830 by John Donahoo–the same contractor who built 11 other lighthouses in the state including the Turkey Point Lighthouse and Piney Point Lighthouse. In 1883 it was expanded to two full stories and the light was raised about 41 feet above sea level. In 1927, kitchen and dining rooms were added to the structure. William Yeatman served the longest term as lighthouse keeper, fulfilling his duties from 1871 until his death in 1908. Several relatives of former Point Lookout Lighthouse keepers still live in the area and were invited to a ribbon cutting ceremony that took place in April to celebrate the completion of the renovations.
The newly re-opened lighthouse will give the public another reason to visit Point Lookout State Park, which is already well known for its sweeping views of the Potomac River and Chesapeake Bay; its Civil War history; and extensive outdoor recreational opportunities, including a renovated deep-water fishing pier on the Chesapeake Bay.
Article by A.J. Metcalf, Director of Communications for the Maryland Department of Natural Resources
