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Concord Point Lighthouse
Concord Point Lighthouse
Historic Past
Concord Point Lighthouse was first lit in 1827. It is located at the point where the Susquehanna River flows into the Chesapeake Bay. During the early 1800's there was an increase in navigation in the area which caused a need for a lighthouse at this point on the northernmost section of Chesapeake Bay.
John Donohoo had constructed several lighthouses in Maryland and in just a years time he constructed the granite conical tower at Concord Point. The cost was $3500.
The tower is rather short, as lighthouses go, and stands just 32 feet tall. I found it to be a good looking classis lighthouse with the exterior being a slightly rough finish and a whitewash finish.
The grounds around the lighthouse have a white picket fence and lots of colorful flowers.
Today the grounds are well kept and both the lighthouse and the keepers house are open to the public on Saturday and Sundays during the months of April through October. It was closed during our visit, but I was able to walk the grounds and take several photographs.
On a previous visit to Maryland I had photographed several lighthouses along the Chesapeake Bay area and found them to be very interesting. The lighthouses in this area consist of three different styles. There is the conical style, like Concord Point, a cupela style which looks like a house with a lighthouse sticking out of the second floor. and then there are several lighthouses in Maryland that are a screw pile type of lighthouse. This style was needed to sink lighthouses into the sandy bottom of the Chesapeake Bay.
Learn about Maryland Lighthouses
Keepers House
Keepers all in One Family
Today the keepers house for the Concord Point lighthouse sits directly across the street from the lighthouse. It is a two story building that is painted white with green shutters. It has colorful flowers around the front of the house.
In reading about the lighthouse in the book Mid-Atlantic Lighthouses by Bruce Roberts and Ray Jones I discovered that all of the keepers of the lighthouse were from the same family. The first keeper John O'Niel was a hero in the War of 1812 by making a one man stand against the entire British fleet.
For his service he was rewarded by receiving the post of lighthouse keeper at Concord Point. Over the years the position was passed down through the generations. The last O'Neil to be the keeper was his great grandson Harry O'Niel who had to give up his job when the lighthouse became automated in the 1920's.
Scenes around Lighthouse
Photographing Lighthouses
I love the challenge of photographing lighthouses and try to get unique photos of each lighthouse I visit. This is not always easy because many times lighthouse will have a lot of buildings, trees and wires around them which make it challenging to get a good photograph.
At this lighthouse I walked around the lighthouse to find the best angle to shoot. I took several photos from each side. The weather was in my favor with dark clouds in the background giving a stormy feel to the photos.
For Concord Point I feel my best photo is the one with the dark clouds in the background. I think that it gives interest to the white tower.
I also tried to work with the beautiful roses that were on the one side of the lighthouse. I took several shots sitting on the ground with the roses in the foreground and the lighthouse behind it.
For these photos I used my Sony A57 DSLR camera with a 18mm-70mm zoom lens. I used an aperature priority setting.
I hope you have enjoyed hearing about my visit to Concord Point and viewing my photographs.
Visiting the Lighthouse
If you find yourself in the area, I highly recommend a trip to Concord Point Lighthouse. To get to it just take State I55 off I-95 into Havre de Grace and turn left at Otsego Street . You will then turn right onto St. John's and then left at the sign for the lighthouse.
If you are hungry when you get to town, I would recommend the Chesapeake Grill. My husband and I had a delicious lunch there.
Maryland Lighthouses
How many different types of lighthouses are in Maryland?
Greeting Card from Photos
I always enjoy creating greeting cards from my photos. Here is one of Concord Point Lighthouse.
My Lighthouse Blog
- Lighthouse Musings
I love photographing lighthouses and sharing those photos with others. Lighthouse Musings is full of information and photos from lighthouses I have visited.
© 2014 Mary Beth Granger