Blakistone Island Light
Encyclopedia
The Blakistone Island Light was a lighthouse
located on what is now St. Clement's Island on the Potomac River
in Maryland
. It is best known as the target of a Confederate raid in the Civil War
.
appropriated $3,500 for the construction of a lighthouse on the island in 1848; John Donahoo
was awarded the contract, which cost $4,535. He designed an integral lighthouse
, a two-story brick keeper's dwelling with a tower through its center, which sat on a two-acre
plot at the southern tip of the island. Construction was completed, and the light lit, in 1851.
The lighthouse, like many in the South, was a target for Confederate
raiders. In 1864, CSA Captain John Goldsmith, a former owner of the island, led a party which destroyed the lighthouse lens and confiscated the oil used to light it; the group then declared its intent to destroy the structure. Keeper
Jerome McWilliams, an acquaintance of the Captain's, succeeded in convincing the men not to destroy the light because his wife was pregnant; he argued that destroying the family home would leave both her and the baby vulnerable.
The United States Navy
purchased the island in 1919 and razed most structures on it, leaving only the lighthouse and building pier
s and a landing strip
. The light was automated in 1932 and left unattended, gradually decaying over the next twenty years. Fire
gutted the structure on July 16, 1956; to this day, the cause of the blaze is uncertain, but many suspect that a stray artillery
round fired from the proving ground
at Dahlgren, Virginia
, may have been to blame. In any event, the Navy viewed the shell as a hazard and ordered it razed.
Through the efforts of the St. Clement's Hundred, a local community organization created for the preservation of St. Clement's Island, a replica of the Blackistone Lighthouse was constructed and completed in June 2008.
Lighthouse
A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses or, in older times, from a fire, and used as an aid to navigation for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways....
located on what is now St. Clement's Island on the Potomac River
Potomac River
The Potomac River flows into the Chesapeake Bay, located along the mid-Atlantic coast of the United States. The river is approximately long, with a drainage area of about 14,700 square miles...
in Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
. It is best known as the target of a Confederate raid in the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
.
History
CongressUnited States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
appropriated $3,500 for the construction of a lighthouse on the island in 1848; John Donahoo
John Donahoo
John Donahoo was a lighthouse builder active in Maryland for much of the first half of the nineteenth century....
was awarded the contract, which cost $4,535. He designed an integral lighthouse
Integral lighthouse
An integral lighthouse is a lighthouse in which the tower and keeper's dwelling are united in one structure. Generally, the term is not used to refer to a caisson or screw-pile lighthouse....
, a two-story brick keeper's dwelling with a tower through its center, which sat on a two-acre
Acre
The acre is a unit of area in a number of different systems, including the imperial and U.S. customary systems. The most commonly used acres today are the international acre and, in the United States, the survey acre. The most common use of the acre is to measure tracts of land.The acre is related...
plot at the southern tip of the island. Construction was completed, and the light lit, in 1851.
The lighthouse, like many in the South, was a target for Confederate
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
raiders. In 1864, CSA Captain John Goldsmith, a former owner of the island, led a party which destroyed the lighthouse lens and confiscated the oil used to light it; the group then declared its intent to destroy the structure. Keeper
Lighthouse keeper
A lighthouse keeper is the person responsible for tending and caring for a lighthouse, particularly the light and lens in the days when oil lamps and clockwork mechanisms were used. Keepers were needed to trim the wicks, replenish fuel, wind clockworks and perform maintenance tasks such as cleaning...
Jerome McWilliams, an acquaintance of the Captain's, succeeded in convincing the men not to destroy the light because his wife was pregnant; he argued that destroying the family home would leave both her and the baby vulnerable.
The United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
purchased the island in 1919 and razed most structures on it, leaving only the lighthouse and building pier
Pier
A pier is a raised structure, including bridge and building supports and walkways, over water, typically supported by widely spread piles or pillars...
s and a landing strip
Runway
According to ICAO a runway is a "defined rectangular area on a land aerodrome prepared for the landing and take-off of aircraft." Runways may be a man-made surface or a natural surface .- Orientation and dimensions :Runways are named by a number between 01 and 36, which is generally one tenth...
. The light was automated in 1932 and left unattended, gradually decaying over the next twenty years. Fire
Fire
Fire is the rapid oxidation of a material in the chemical process of combustion, releasing heat, light, and various reaction products. Slower oxidative processes like rusting or digestion are not included by this definition....
gutted the structure on July 16, 1956; to this day, the cause of the blaze is uncertain, but many suspect that a stray artillery
Artillery
Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
round fired from the proving ground
Proving ground
A proving ground is the US name for a military installation or reservation where weapons or other military technology are experimented or tested, or where military tactics are tested...
at Dahlgren, Virginia
Dahlgren, Virginia
Dahlgren is a census-designated place in King George County, Virginia, United States. The population was 997 at the 2000 census. The community is located within the Northern Neck George Washington Birthplace American Viticultural Area winemaking appellation established by the United States...
, may have been to blame. In any event, the Navy viewed the shell as a hazard and ordered it razed.
Through the efforts of the St. Clement's Hundred, a local community organization created for the preservation of St. Clement's Island, a replica of the Blackistone Lighthouse was constructed and completed in June 2008.