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Greenbury Point, MD  Lighthouse destroyed.   

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Greenbury Point Lighthouse

1847 – For a beacon light at Greenbury Point, at the harbor of Annapolis, in the State of Maryland, March 3, 1847, $3,500.

1850 – Greenbury Point light-house. - 9 lamps; Thomas Morgan, keeper; supplied June 28, 1850.
Dwelling house is built of brick, one story high, with the lantern on the roof. The copper has been taken off the lantern deck and tin put in its place; it is now in good order, and tight. Lighting apparatus needed no repairs, and was neat and clean. A new cistern has been made to this establishment, and a new fence around it. The present keeper has recently taken charge.
Left July 6, 1849, 349 gallons of oil. Found on hand - 70 gallons of oil. 279 gallons consumed in 357 days is equal to 285 gallons per year, or 31 5/9 gallons per lamp.
Delivered 175 gallons of spring oil, 102 gallons of winter oil, 70 gallons on hand, for a total of 347 gallons.
60 tube glasses; 24 yards cloth; 5 gross wicks; 1 box tripoli; 1 buff skin; 1 pair scissors; 1 file; 1 box soap; 2 spare lamps, in good order, common burners, 14-inch reflectors.

1855 – Greenbury Point.—This light station was fitted with a steamer’s lens, which was substituted on the 14th May, 1855, for the old reflecting apparatus consisting of 9 lamps and 9 fourteen-inch reflectors.

1855 – Keeper Robert Wilson $350

1858 – Greenbury Point, north side of entrance to Annapolis Harbor, Maryland. Built in 1848. Fixed white, 6th-order lens light, refitted in 1855. Light on keeper’s dwelling.

1868 – Greenbury Point.—Doors, sashes, window-shutters, also locks and hinges, repaired; new porch to front door built; all wood-work and the lantern painted inside and out, two coats; plastering in all the rooms repaired; rain-water gutters and conductors renewed; new pump for cistern supplied; picket fence 600 feet to boundary of lot erected, and whitewashed two coats; boat belonging to the station repaired.

1869 – Greenbury Point.—Keeper's dwelling needs slight repairs.

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.

Keepers:

  • Head: Levin Wheeler (1848 – 1850), Thomas Morgan (1850 – 1853), Benjamin Linthicum (1853), Robert Wilson (1853 – 1859), Benjamin Linthicum (1859 – 1861), William Freeman (1861 – 1862), James Hoye (1862 – 1865), James Taylor (1865 – 1868), J.H. Parkinson (1868 – 1869), Benjamin S. Suit (1869 – 1891).

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