Home Maps Resources Calendar About
Resources Calendar About
Greenbury Point Shoal, MD  Lighthouse destroyed.   

Select a photograph to view a photo gallery

Photo Gallery

Photo Gallery

Photo Gallery

See our full List of Lighthouses in Maryland

Greenbury Point Shoal Lighthouse

1878 – Greenbury Point, entrance to Severn River, Chesapeake Bay, Maryland.—The land about Greenbury Point is washing away, and eventually the light-house will be in danger. The light, in its present position, is of little use, and is so small that it can hardly be distinguished from the lights of the Naval Academy, and of the harbor of Annapolis. A screw-pile structure on the end of the shoal would be of much greater value than the present light. No appropriation is, however, asked this year.

1879 – Greenbury Point, entrance to Severn River, Chesapeake Bay, Maryland.—The land about Greenbury Point is washing away, and eventually the light-house will be endangered. The light, in its present position, is of little use, and is so small that it can hardly be distinguished from the lights of the Naval Academy and of the harbor of Annapolis. A screw-pile structure on the end of the shoal would be of much greater value than the present light. Such will cost $25,000. An appropriation of that sum is therefore recommended.

1880 - Greenbury Point, entrance to Severn River, Chesapeake Bay, Maryland.—The following remarks, taken from the last annual report, are repeated, and the recommendation made therein renewed:
The land about Greenbury Point is washing away, and eventually the light-house will be endangered. The light in its present position is of little use, and is so small that it can hardly be distinguished from the lights of the Naval Academy and of the harbor of Annapolis. A screw-pile structure on the end of the shoal would be of much greater value than the present light. Such will cost $25,000. An appropriation of that sum is therefore recommended.

1881 – Greenbury Point, entrance to Severn River, Chesapeake Bay, Maryland.—The following remarks, taken from the annual reports for the last three years, are repeated, and the recommendation renewed:
The land about Greenbury Point is washing away, and eventually the light-house will be endangered. The light in its present condition is of little use, and is so small that it can hardly be distinguished from the lights of the Naval Academy and of the harbor of Annapolis. A structure on the end of the shoal would be of much greater value than the present light. Such will cost $25,000. An appropriation of that sum is therefore recommended.

1882 – Greenbnry Point, entrance to Severn River, Maryland.— Sandy Point, west side of Chesapeake Bay, Maryland—The remarks in regard to the necessity for new structures at these places, so often quoted in the annual reports, are repeated with greater emphasis.

1883 — Greenbury Point Shoal, Maryland.—A light on the shoal off Greenbury Point, to take the place of the shore light, which is of little use, and is in danger of being washed away, has been recommended in previous reports. The recommendation previously made, for an appropriation of $25,000 for the purpose, is renewed.

1885 — Greenbury Point Shoal.—An appropriation of $25,000 is again asked for, for building a light house on the shoal off Greenbury Point. The light on shore is of little use, and the site is being steadily encroached upon by the sea. The shore station for some time past has been in need of extensive repairs, which were deferred in anticipation of the establishment of a light on the shoal.

1887 — Greenbury Point Shoal, entrance to Annapolis, Maryland.— The following recommendation, made in the Board's annual report for 1885, is repeated:
An appropriation of $25,000 is again asked for, for building a light-house on the shoal off Greenbury Point. The light on shore is of little use, and the site is being steadily encroached upon by the sea. The shore station for some time past has been in need of extensive repairs, which were deferred in anticipation of the establishment of a light on the shoal.

1888 — Greenbury Point Shoal, entrance to Severn River, Chesapeake Bay, Maryland.—The following recommendation, copied from the Board's last annual report, was made for several years, and is again renewed:
An appropriation of $25,000 is again asked for for building a light-house on the shoal off Greenbury Point. The light on shore is of little use, and the site is being steadily encroached upon by the sea. The shore station for some time past has been in need of extensive repairs, which were deferred in anticipation of the establishment of a light on the shed.

1889 – For a light on shoal off Greenbury Point to replace the one on the point, March 2, 1889, $25,000

1889 — Greenbury Point Shoal, entrance to Severn River, Chesapeake Bay, Maryland.—Congress at its last session made an appropriation of $25,000 for a light on this shoal to replace the one on the point. Borings to ascertain the character of the shoal were made in March, and the style of structure to be erected will soon be determined.

1890 – Greenbury Point Shoal, to replace the light at Greenbury Point, entrance to Severn River, Chesapeake Bay, Maryland.—This light-house is of the same plan as that for Shark's Fin Shoal, Maryland, and the same stage of progress has been reached in its construction. This is recounted in a preceding paragraph.

1891 - 433. Greenbury Point Shoal, to replace the light at Greenbury Point, entrance to Severn River, Chesapeake Bay, Maryland.—This light-house was completed as far as practicable before transfer to the site and it is proposed to commence its erection as soon as the Sharkfin Shoal structure is built.

1892 – Discontinued - Greenbury Point, entrance to Annapolis Harbor, Maryland.—A sixth-order light, November 15, 1891.

1892 – Greenbury Point Shoal, entrance to Severn River, Chesapeake Bay, Maryland.—At the date of the last annual report, the superstructure of this light-house had been prepared at the depot, and the ironwork was ready for erection at the site. On July 28, 1891, the position of the new structure was fixed and the work on the foundation was begun. On August 6, the piles were in place; but it was noticed while the piles were being driven that the shoal failed to give the resistance needed for a safe support for the structure. The work was therefore stopped until means of strengthening the foundation were provided. For this purpose the method which was successful at Gull Shoal, North Carolina, under similar conditions, was adopted. This method was by means of cast-iron disks, of as great diameter as the spaces between the parts of the ironwork would allow, to which cast-iron sleeves were fastened securely. The sleeves and disks were then slipped on over the piles, and forced down until the disks had obtained a solid bearing on the shoal. The sleeves were then firmly bolted to the piles. In this way the bearing surface was largely increased. This made a delay of nearly six weeks, and work was not resumed on the lighthouse until September 14, 1891. The sleeves and disks were adjusted, the rest of the ironwork was put in position, and then the erection of the house frame was carried rapidly forward. The work was completed on October 8, except the painting and the removal of the working platform. The platform was taken down by the two men left in charge of the station pending the arrival of the keeper, and the painting was done on October 19, during the visit of the tender Jessamine. The light was exhibited for the first time on the night of November 15, 1891, as announced by the notice to mariners. The structure comprises an hexagonal wooden dwelling on seven screw piles, supporting a lantern, showing a fixed white fourth-order light. The fog bell is struck by machinery, a double blow every ten seconds. The station on shore at Greenbury Point was discontinued when the new light was shown. The old light house will be retained as a day mark.

1899 – Greenbury Point Shoal, entrance to Severn River, Maryland.— New model fourth-order lamps were supplied.

1901 – Greenbury Point Shoal, entrance to Severn River, Maryland.— Soundings were made around the light-house. Various repairs were made.

1914 – C.B. Gray, keeper, assisted 2 oystermen in capsized canoe. Happened on Dec 26, 1914.

1918 – The following letter was received from John Berntsen, keeper of Greenbury Point Shoal Light Station, MD. relative to iced conditions on February 4, 1918, in the vicinity of his station:
You are respectfully informed that at 1 o’clock this morning the ice broke adrift; at 1:30 a.m. the lamp in the lens upset and was put out of commission, and a minute later the lens fell off the pedestal and broke all to pieces, together with storm panes. There are two panes needed for the lantern and a new lens. Everything in the house was upset except the stove and water tanks. The ice is very heavy and lot of ice yet to come

1934 – Greenbury Point Shoal Lighthouse was dismantled, and a light atop a skeletal tower was mounted on the screwpile foundation in its place.

2008 – The screwpile foundation and light were removed.

Keepers:

  • Head: Benjamin S. Suit (1869 – 1891), John B.T. Suit (1891 – 1897), William S. Stinchcomb (1897 – 1900), Edgar T. Somers (1900 – 1903), Charles W. Hartman (1903 – 1904), Patrick Reedy (1904 – 1905), John E. Faulkner (1905), Patrick Reedy (1905 – 1906), Clinton B. Gray (1906 – 1917), Sheldon R. Van Houter (1917), William R. Schoenfelder (1917), John Berentsen (1917 – at least 1919), John L. Ennis (at least 1921 – 1930), John D. Elliott (1930 – ).
  • Assistant: James Reedy (1905 – 1907), Charles A. Larsen (1907 – 1908), George M. Willis, Sr. (1908 – 1911), Patrick Reedy (1911 – at least 1912), David W. Collison (at least 1913), John D. Burton (at least 1915 – 1916), David W. Collison (1916 – 1917), Thomas R. Williams (1918 – 1919), John W. Gaither (1919), John W. Hughes (1919 – ), Morris A. Todd (1920 – ), James G. Meekins (at least 1921), John F. Riley (1926 – 1927).

Copyright © 2001- Lighthousefriends.com
Pictures on this page copyright National Archives, Coast Guard, used by permission.
email Kraig