Craighill Channel Lower Range Front Light
Encyclopedia
The Craighill Channel Lower Range Front Light, named for William Price Craighill
, was the first caisson lighthouse
built in the Chesapeake Bay
in Maryland
. First lit in 1873, the range marks the first leg of the maintained Craighill Channel from the Chesapeake Bay
at the mouth of the Patapsco River
into the Baltimore harbor and works in conjunction with the Craighill Channel Lower Range Rear Light
. It has been owned by non-profit organization Historical Place Preservation, Inc. since 2005.
(the first caisson lighthouse, built in 1872), as it was built in deeper water under more difficult conditions. The caisson type quickly became the preferred type of lighthouse to be built in climates where ice floe damage was a possibility. The front range light is unusual for having two lights and is the only surviving example in the Chesapeake Bay
. A beacon light is fixed above the gallery deck which serves as the front light for the range and a light in the lantern serves as a general aid to navigation.
The station has never suffered ice damage despite it being located in a very exposed position; however the station was once abandoned and the light extinguished on February 11, 1936, because of dangerous ice conditions. It was not relit till February 24. In 1899 the station received "new model fifth-order lamps." A fog bell operated by gas was established at the station in 1923. The light was changed from oil to electric on November 26, 1929. The fog signal was changed to an air whistle on October 24, 1932. In 1938 the light was described as having a Reynolds flasher to produce the one-second flash with two-second eclipse. A spare fourth-order "wick lamp" was kept as a backup. Oil was stored in a 225-gallon tank kept in the cellar. The fog signal was a number 4 Typhone Horn with an eight-inch-diameter whistle, which gave a three-second blast every 27 seconds. A backup Gamewell weight-driven clock mechanism produced a double strike every 30 seconds. The weight had to be rewound every hour and a half. The fog bell was a standard 1000-pound bell.
Water was collected from the roof and stored in two steel 500-gallon tanks. The station had a 18 feet (5.5 m) "motor boat" and a 16 feet (4.9 m) "skiff" hung from davits. There was a keeper and an assistant until the station was automated on May 5, 1964.
In November 2005, ownership of the lighthouse was transferred to the nonprofit organization Historical Place Preservation, Inc. under the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act
of 2000 (NHLPA). HPP plans to restore the lighthouse and open it to the public.
Currently, the lighthouse is in disrepair, but is a popular sailing destination for people in the Baltimore area. It is rusted and deteriorating, but still has an automated flashing beacon.
William Price Craighill
William Price Craighill was born in Charles Town, Virginia . He was an author, Union Army engineer in the American Civil War, and later served as Chief of Engineers....
, was the first caisson lighthouse
Caisson lighthouse
A caisson lighthouse is a lighthouse whose superstructure rests on a concrete or metal caisson.Caisson lighthouses were developed in the late nineteenth century as a cheaper, more efficient alternative to screwpile lighthouses; they could better withstand harsh weather, and were not as fragile...
built in the Chesapeake Bay
Chesapeake Bay
The Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States. It lies off the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by Maryland and Virginia. The Chesapeake Bay's drainage basin covers in the District of Columbia and parts of six states: New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and West...
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...
. First lit in 1873, the range marks the first leg of the maintained Craighill Channel from the Chesapeake Bay
Chesapeake Bay
The Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States. It lies off the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by Maryland and Virginia. The Chesapeake Bay's drainage basin covers in the District of Columbia and parts of six states: New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and West...
at the mouth of the Patapsco River
Patapsco River
The Patapsco River is a river in central Maryland which flows into Chesapeake Bay. The river's tidal portion forms the harbor for the city of Baltimore...
into the Baltimore harbor and works in conjunction with the Craighill Channel Lower Range Rear Light
Craighill Channel Lower Range Rear Light
The Craighill Channel Lower Range Rear Light is one of a pair of range lights that marks the first section of the shipping channel into Baltimore harbor. It is the tallest lighthouse in Maryland.-History:...
. It has been owned by non-profit organization Historical Place Preservation, Inc. since 2005.
History
This light was constructed in 1873 and is considered a greater feat of engineering than its predecessor, the Duxbury LightDuxbury Pier Light
Duxbury Pier lighthouse also called Duxbury Light is a lighthouse located in Plymouth Harbor, Massachusetts. Duxbury Pier Light was built in 1871 on the north side of the main channel in Plymouth Harbor to mark the dangerous shoal off Saquish Head...
(the first caisson lighthouse, built in 1872), as it was built in deeper water under more difficult conditions. The caisson type quickly became the preferred type of lighthouse to be built in climates where ice floe damage was a possibility. The front range light is unusual for having two lights and is the only surviving example in the Chesapeake Bay
Chesapeake Bay
The Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States. It lies off the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by Maryland and Virginia. The Chesapeake Bay's drainage basin covers in the District of Columbia and parts of six states: New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and West...
. A beacon light is fixed above the gallery deck which serves as the front light for the range and a light in the lantern serves as a general aid to navigation.
The station has never suffered ice damage despite it being located in a very exposed position; however the station was once abandoned and the light extinguished on February 11, 1936, because of dangerous ice conditions. It was not relit till February 24. In 1899 the station received "new model fifth-order lamps." A fog bell operated by gas was established at the station in 1923. The light was changed from oil to electric on November 26, 1929. The fog signal was changed to an air whistle on October 24, 1932. In 1938 the light was described as having a Reynolds flasher to produce the one-second flash with two-second eclipse. A spare fourth-order "wick lamp" was kept as a backup. Oil was stored in a 225-gallon tank kept in the cellar. The fog signal was a number 4 Typhone Horn with an eight-inch-diameter whistle, which gave a three-second blast every 27 seconds. A backup Gamewell weight-driven clock mechanism produced a double strike every 30 seconds. The weight had to be rewound every hour and a half. The fog bell was a standard 1000-pound bell.
Water was collected from the roof and stored in two steel 500-gallon tanks. The station had a 18 feet (5.5 m) "motor boat" and a 16 feet (4.9 m) "skiff" hung from davits. There was a keeper and an assistant until the station was automated on May 5, 1964.
In November 2005, ownership of the lighthouse was transferred to the nonprofit organization Historical Place Preservation, Inc. under the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act
National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act
The National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act of 2000 is American legislation creating a process for the transfer of federally-owned lighthouses into private hands...
of 2000 (NHLPA). HPP plans to restore the lighthouse and open it to the public.
Currently, the lighthouse is in disrepair, but is a popular sailing destination for people in the Baltimore area. It is rusted and deteriorating, but still has an automated flashing beacon.
External links
- http://www.craighillrange.org
- Chesapeake Bay Lighthouse Project - Craighill Channel Range Lights