Work began on the screwpile lighthouse in 1883. Built in only 10 feet of water, each of the seven 10-inch legs were screwed into the bay bottom and were supported by cross braces to form a framework foundation for the dwelling above. Then the workers erected the one-and-a-half story hexagonal dwelling to house the keeper and his family. Above that, the lantern room and its catwalk were added. Completed in record time, the keeper lighted the fourth order Fresnel lens only 33 days after the start of construction.

Because sediment from the river raised the ocean bottom, shifting tides brought in more sand and because the water receded, the U.S. Coast Guard decommissioned the light. Abandoned in 1962, the lighthouse was vandalized. But citizens still loved their familiar beacon and rallied to save the lighthouse. Twelve years later, it was moved upriver to the Calvert Marine Museum where it was lovingly restored to pristine condition.

Drum Point, MD Harbour Lights Great Lighthouses Of The World Item # HL440
Suspended above the bay, at the mouth of the Patuxent River, was a spindly-legged sentinel flashing its warning beacon to shipping vessels. Standing at a particular perilous shoal, nea
Price: $70.95