Piney Point Coast Guard Light Station, Piney Point Maryland
- Categories:
- Maryland
- Lighthouse
Constructed in 1836, Piney Point was the first lighthouse built on the Potomac River. John Donohoo, constructor of several lighthouses in the Chesapeake Bay area, erected this structure at a cost of about $5,000. The property on which the lighthouse was constructed was acquired in fee simple from Henry Suter and Charlotte Suter, his wife, by warranty deed dated 24th December 1835 for $300.
Piney Point Light continued as a manned station under the lighthouse service until the incorporation of that service into the Coast Guard in 1939. The Coast Guard discontinued the light in 1964. The Coast Guard retains the Piney Point site as a station. The Keeper's residence is maintained as a facility for housing personnel. The lighthouse presently serves no particular purpose.
Site Description
The complex as constructed in 1836 consisted of the Lighthouse structure, the Keeper's Quarters and an outhouse. The two major structures remain; however, the original outhouse has long since passed into oblivion. Presumably, the specifications for the structures were developed by staff personnel of the Treasury Department.
The Lighthouse is a conical structure of brick painted white, 30 feet high. The focal plane of the light was 34 feet above the base. A cupola constructed of metal with rectangular glass panes surmounts the brick tower. Access to the cupola is gained by means of a circular wood stairway which occupies the entire core of the structure. Interesting early iron hardware remains on the heavy entrance door. Though the lens has been removed, the appearance of the structure is essentially as constructed in 1836.
The Keeper's Quarters is a brick-constructed building, 34' x 20', with a 15' x 11' ell of stuccoed frame construction. Two stories over a full basement, the Keeper's Quarters has undergone radical interior alterations which have obliterated original conditions. The exterior is presently painted white with a red standing seam metal roof. A one-story porch extends across the northwest (entrance) facade.
