Point Lookout Light
10350 Point Lookout Rd, Scotland, MD 20687, USA
Name and Location
Point Lookout Light is located at 10350 Point Lookout Road (MD-5), Scotland, St. Mary's County, Maryland 20687, USA. The lighthouse stands at the southern tip of Maryland's Point Lookout peninsula, where the Chesapeake Bay meets the Potomac River.
Construction and History
The first Point Lookout Light was established in 1830 with a small brick tower marking this critical junction. In 1892, the present tower was erected as a brick house with an integral light. The lighthouse played a significant role during the Civil War, serving as a Union hospital and prison camp from 1863 to 1865.
Architecture and Materials
The Point Lookout Light is a 19th-century brick lighthouse incorporated into a one-and-a-half-story keeper's dwelling. The tower stands approximately 9 meters (30 feet) above ground and has a focal plane of around 8.8 meters (29 feet) above mean high water.
Light and Navigation
The original lens was a fifth-order Fresnel lens, but it is no longer in place. The characteristic of the light is unclear from historical records, although it may have been a fixed white light with varying patterns over time. The range of the lighthouse is estimated to be around 10 nautical miles.
Accessibility and Visiting
The Point Lookout Light is open to the public and can be reached via MD-5 to Point Lookout Road, then by park entrance. Visitors enjoy panoramic water views of the Potomac and Chesapeake Bay, distant Virginia shorelines, and glimpses of passing commercial and pleasure craft.
Notable Views and Landscape
From the lighthouse grounds, visitors can see the fort ruins, cemetery for Union soldiers, and remnants of hospital wards framing the site – a compelling blend of maritime and military history.
Anecdotes and Folklore
Local lore speaks of lingering "hospital spirits" said to drift through the old keeper's quarters. During the Civil War, the light was briefly extinguished for security, leading to at least two small collisions by night-running vessels.
Technical and Operational Details
The lighthouse was deactivated in 1966 when it was superseded by a small skeletal USCG aid-to-navigation. The site is managed by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, Point Lookout State Park.
Further Information
For more information, visit the Wikipedia page "Point Lookout Light" or the U.S. Lighthouse Society's webpage on the Point Lookout Light Station.
Details
| Name | Point Lookout Light |
|---|---|
| City | Scotland |
| Country | Usa |
| Coordinates | 38.038804, -76.3220826 |
| Year of construction | 1830 |
| Keeper stories | The lighthouse and adjacent fort ruins lie within the Point Lookout State Park Historic District, listed on the National Register of Historic Places |
| Stories | Local lore speaks of lingering “hospital spirits” said to drift through the old keeper’s quarters; During the Civil War, the light was briefly extinguished for security, leading to at least two small collisions by night-running vessels (detailed in park archives) |
| Architectural style | 19th-century brick lighthouse incorporated into a one-and-a-half-story keeper’s dwelling |
| Construction material | "Red brick masonry with painted white lantern room" |
| Focal height | 29 |
| Tower height | 30 |
| Heritage status | true |
| Renovations | Present tower erected: 1892; Deactivated: 1966 |
| Access description | reached via MD-5 to Point Lookout Road, then by park entrance |
| Accessible | true |
| View description | panoramic water views of the Potomac and Chesapeake Bay, distant Virginia shorelines, and glimpses of passing commercial and pleasure craft |
| Guided tours | false |
| Facilities | On-site picnic areas, trails, beach, campground and small interpretive center |
| Opening hours | Dawn to dusk year-round |
| Nearby attractions | ["Fort Lincoln National Park Service site (ruins of earthen fortifications)","Point Lookout State Park beach and picnic areas","Museum of Southern Maryland at St. Mary’s City (Civil War exhibits)"] |
| AIS Radar | false |
| Light range | 10 |
| Automated | false |