rginia.—This shoal makes off from the west bank of the river at a short turning point. It is important that this point be marked by a light at night and a fog signal during thick weather. It is estimated that a light and fog-signal station can be established here for $20,000, and it is recommended that an appropriation of this amount be made therefor.

1897 – Ragged Point, Potomac River, Virginia.—The following recommendation made in the Board’s last annual report is renewed:
This shoal makes off from the west bank of the river at a short turning point. It is important that this point be marked by a light at night and a fog signal during thick weather. It is estimated that a light and fog-signal station can be established here for $20,000, and it is recommended that an appropriation of this amount be made therefor.

1898 — Ragged Point, Potomac River, Virginia.—The following recommendation, made in the Board’s last two annual reports, is renewed:
This shoal makes off from the west bank of the river at a short turning point It is important that this point be marked by a light at night and a fog signal during thick weather. It is estimated that a light and fog-signal station can be established here for $20,000, and it is recommended that an appropriation of this amount be made therefor.

1899 — Ragged Point, Potomac River, Virginia.—The following recommendation, made in the Board’s last three annual reports, is renewed:
This shoal makes off from the west bank of the river at a short turning point. It is important that this point be marked by a light at night and a fog signal during thick weather. It is estimated that a light and fog-signal station can be established here for $20,000, and it is recommended that an appropriation of this amount be made therefor.

1900 – Ragged Point, Potomac River, Virginia.—The following recommendation, made in the Board’s last four annual reports, is renewed:
This shoal makes off from the west bank of the river at a short turning point. It is important that this point be marked by a light at night and a fog-signal during thick weather. It is estimated that a light and fog-signal station can be established here for $20,000, and it is recommended that an appropriation of this amount be made therefor.

1901 — Ragged Point, Potomac River, Virginia.—The following recommendation, made in the Board’s last five annual reports is renewed:
This shoal makes off from the west bank of the river at a short turning point. It is important that this point be marked by a light at night and a fog-signal during thick weather. It is estimated that a light and fog-signal station can be established here for $20,000, and it is recommended that an appropriation of this amount be made therefor.
The price of material and labor has increased to such an extent since the estimate for this work was made, some six years ago, that the Board now estimates that it will cost not exceeding $30,000 to establish this light station, and it now recommends that an appropriation of this amount be made therefor.

1902 — Ragged Point, Potomac River, Virginia.—The following recommendation, made in the Board’s last six annual reports, is renewed:
This shoal makes off from the west bank of the river at a short turning point. It is important that this point be marked by a light at night and a fog-signal during thick weather. It is estimated that a light and fog-signal station can be established here for $20,000, and it is recommended that an appropriation of this amount be made therefor.
The following statement, made in the Board’s last annual report, is renewed:
The price of material and labor has increased to such an extent since the estimate for this work was made, some six years ago, that the Board now estimates that it will cost not exceeding $30,000 to establish this light-station, and it now recommends that an appropriation of this amount be made therefor.

1904 — Ragged Point, Potomac River, Virginia.—The following recommendation, made in the Board's last eight annual reports, is renewed:
This shoal makes off from the west bank of the river at a short turning point. It is important that this point be marked by a light at night and a fog signal during thick weather. It is estimated a light and fog-signal -station can be established hero for $20,000, and it is recommended that an appropriation of this amount be made therefor.
The following statement, made in the Board's last annual report, is renewed:
The price of material and labor has increased to such an extent since the estimate for this work was made, some six years ago, that the Board now estimates that It will cost not exceeding $30,000 to establish this light station, and it now recommends that an appropriation of this amount be made therefor.

1905 — Ragged Point. Potomac Nicer, Virginia.—The following recommendation, made in the Board’s last nine annual reports, is renewed:
This shoal makes off from the west bank of the river at a short turning point. It is important that this point be marked by a light at night and a fog-signal during thick weather. It is estimated a light and fog-signal station can be established here for $20,000, and it is recommended that an appropriation of this amount he made therefor.
The following statement, made in the Board’s last two annual reports, is renewed:
The price of material and labor has increased to such an extent since the estimate for this work was made, some six years ago. that the Board now estimates that it will cost not exceeding $30,000 to establish this light-station, and it now recommends that an appropriation of this amount be made therefor.

1906 — Ragged Point, Potomac River, Virginia.—The act approved on June 20, 1906, authorized the establishment of a light and fog-signal at this point at a cost not to exceed $30,000, and the act approved on June 30, 1906, appropriated $15,000 toward the establishment of this light and fog-signal. Plans are being made on the basis of this authorization. The Board therefore recommends the appropriation of $15,000 more to satisfy this contract.

1907 – Ragged Point, Potomac River, Maryland.—The act approved on March 4, 1907, appropriated $15,000 more for completing this station, making the total amount available $30,000. This is not sufficient to establish a suitable light and fog-signal here. A structure was designed as moderate in cost as is compatible with safety. Bids were asked several times for furnishing the metal work, and further efforts were made to obtain a satisfactory bid, but the lowest received was so high as to show that the light-house could not be built within the amount appropriated. The Board estimates that an additional appropriation of about $15,000 will be needed for its establishment, and it is recommended that an appropriation of this amount be made therefor.

1909 – Ragged Point, Potomac River, Maryland.—Appropriations, act of June 30, 1906, $15,000; act of March 4, 1907, $15,000; act of May 27, 1908, $5,000.
Plans and specifications for the metal work and for the erection of the structure were prepared and submitted to bidders, and the contracts were awarded to lowest bidders. The metal work has been completed and delivered at the light-house depot at Lazaretto Point, Maryland, and the contractor for the erection of the light-house at the site has commenced the framing of the structure at Baltimore. The first story has been set up and is now ready to be taken down and the parts assembled for transportation to the site. The station should be completed January 1, 1910.

1910 – Ragged Point, Potomac River, Maryland.—Appropriations for the construction of a light and fog-signal station at this point were made by acts of June 30, 1906, $15,000; March 4, 1907, $15,000; and May 27, 1908, $5,000. The contractor for the erection of this light-house completed his work on February 26, 1910. The lens and fog-bell striking apparatus have been installed, and the outfit of supplies was delivered. The light was shown for the first time on March 15, 1910. It is of the fourth order, flashing white every ten seconds, and illuminates the entire horizon. A bell, struck a double blow every ten seconds by machinery, sounds a warning to vessels during thick or foggy weather. The structure upon which is placed the lantern is of wood, two stories in height, surrounded by a gallery and resting upon a substructure of seven wrought-iron piles. The fog-bell is placed on the roof on the channel side of the light-house. Total cost, $34,223.97.

1919 – During the winter of 1917-1918 ice floes wrought and unprecedented amount of damage to screw-pile lighthouses and light stations in the Chesapeake Bay and the Potomac River. It became necessary to build up existing protection works of riprap stone near to and around these stations and construct new ice barriers or breakers of riprap stone to protect the stations:
Sites: Ragged Point Light Station, Potomac River, Md., 600 tons of riprap stone were placed to build up a mound to act as an ice breaker for the screw-pile lighthouse.
The work was started November 10, 1918, and completed April 15, 1919.

1918 – Charles A. Larsen, keeper, James A. Downs, assistant keeper, rendered assistance to barge which had sprung a leak. Happened on Nov 28, 1918.

1923 – Keeper Carl Geiling awarded efficiency flag for 1923.

1926 – To afford relief from the loneliness that is the part of some of the men in the Lighthouse Service, cut off from all but few human contacts, a wealthy woman of New York has sent 12 large radio sets to Harold D. King, superintendent of the Baltimore lighthouse district, for distribution among lighthouse tenders, light vessels, and shore stations. The following letters have been received by the superintendent of lighthouses at Baltimore, Md., from the keepers of three lighthouse in the fifth district, Hooper Island, Md., Ragged Point, Md., and Thimble Shoal, Va., in regard to radio sets donated recently:
I respectfully report that the radio we received is in excellent working order and I appreciate the gift very much, and of course send a letter of thanks to the donor. We received every day 10 a.m. the weather report for next day, and noon the exact time, after 7 p.m. heard prominent speakers and musical entertainments.

1951 – Ragged Point Lighthouse was automated.

1962 – Ragged Point Lighthouse was dismantled in July, and a skeletal tower was erected on the screwpile foundation to display an automated light.

Keepers:

• Head: A.B. Curtis (1910), Horace C. Groom (1910 – 1912), Patrick Reedy (1912 – 1915), Charles A. Larsen (1915 – at least 1918), Carl Geiling (at least 1919 – at least 1923), Earl C. Harris (1925 – ), Thomas J. Steinhise (1927), J.J. Dailey (1930 – ), Frank R. Lewis (1932 – 1933), Robert H. Matthews (1933 – 1936), Joseph L. Mayor (1937 – 1943), James E. Callis (1945 – 1946).
• Assistant: Gary E. Powell (1910), James O. Casey (1910), Theodore Schlatzer (1910 – 1914), Frederick C. Lovatt (1914 – 1915), John F. Peele (at least 1917 – 1918), John T. Saunders (1918), James S. Downs (1918 – at least 1921), Edward B. Austin (1928), Joseph L. Mayor (1933 – 1937), Aubrey L. Diggs (1937), Nelson S. Atherton (1938 – 1939), Stanley W. Rooks (at least 1940), James E. Callis (1942 – 1945).

A modern light is shown from a tower atop the screwpile foundation.

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