Holland Island Bar Light
Encyclopedia
The Holland Island Bar Light was a screw-pile lighthouse
in the Chesapeake Bay
which existed from 1889 to 1960. It is remembered for the unexplained death of one of its keepers, and for being "attacked" by United States Navy
pilots during a training exercise.
, Maryland
, a small fishing community. It was completed for $35,000, and was outfitted with a fourth-order Fresnel lens
. In 1905 the Lighthouse Board considered turning the station into one of a pair of range lights, but this plan eventually fell through.
The house was dismantled in 1960; it was replaced by an automated beacon mounted on the original foundation.
Ulman Owens
was found dead at the station under mysterious circumstances. Though there was blood and evidence of a struggle, no wounds were found on his body and the death was ruled natural.
by Navy
fighters. On February 19, 1957, three ADSN Skyraider
s from the Naval Air Station
at Atlantic City, New Jersey
bombed the light; their pilots had mistaken the structure for the hulk of the Hannibal. Three practice rockets hit the light. Although they carried no explosives, they still managed to tear holes in the roof and walls, and damaged several of the iron
pilings as well. The keepers called the United States Coast Guard
, which sent aid. Although the four men were evacuated, they returned the next day to begin repairs.
Screw-pile lighthouse
A screw-pile lighthouse is a lighthouse which stands on piles that are screwed into sandy or muddy sea or river bottoms. The first screw-pile lighthouse was built by blind Irish engineer Alexander Mitchell...
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...
which existed from 1889 to 1960. It is remembered for the unexplained death of one of its keepers, and for being "attacked" by 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...
pilots during a training exercise.
History
The lighthouse was built in 1889 south of Holland IslandHolland Island
Holland Island is a marshy, rapidly-eroding island in the Chesapeake Bay, in Dorchester County, Maryland, west of Salisbury. The island was once inhabited by "watermen" and farmers, but has since been abandoned...
, 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...
, a small fishing community. It was completed for $35,000, and was outfitted with a fourth-order Fresnel lens
Fresnel lens
A Fresnel lens is a type of lens originally developed by French physicist Augustin-Jean Fresnel for lighthouses.The design allows the construction of lenses of large aperture and short focal length without the mass and volume of material that would be required by a lens of conventional design...
. In 1905 the Lighthouse Board considered turning the station into one of a pair of range lights, but this plan eventually fell through.
The house was dismantled in 1960; it was replaced by an automated beacon mounted on the original foundation.
Death of Ulman Owens
On March 31, 1931, keeperLighthouse 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...
Ulman Owens
Ulman Owens
Ulman Owens was an American lighthouse keeper. He is chiefly remembered today for the mysterious circumstances surrounding his death...
was found dead at the station under mysterious circumstances. Though there was blood and evidence of a struggle, no wounds were found on his body and the death was ruled natural.
Friendly-fire incident
The lighthouse stood near the hulk of an old ship, the Hannibal, which was frequently used for target practiceTarget practice
Target practice refers to any exercise in which projectiles are fired at a specified target, usually to improve the aim of the person or persons firing the weapon....
by 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...
fighters. On February 19, 1957, three ADSN Skyraider
A-1 Skyraider
The Douglas A-1 Skyraider was an American single-seat attack aircraft that saw service between the late 1940s and early 1980s. It became a piston-powered, propeller-driven anachronism in the jet age, and was nicknamed "Spad", after a French World War I fighter...
s from the Naval Air Station
Naval Air Station
A Naval Air Station is a military airbase, and consists of a permanent land-based operations locations for the military aviation division of the relevant branch of their Navy...
at Atlantic City, New Jersey
Atlantic City, New Jersey
Atlantic City is a city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States, and a nationally renowned resort city for gambling, shopping and fine dining. The city also served as the inspiration for the American version of the board game Monopoly. Atlantic City is located on Absecon Island on the coast...
bombed the light; their pilots had mistaken the structure for the hulk of the Hannibal. Three practice rockets hit the light. Although they carried no explosives, they still managed to tear holes in the roof and walls, and damaged several of the iron
Iron
Iron is a chemical element with the symbol Fe and atomic number 26. It is a metal in the first transition series. It is the most common element forming the planet Earth as a whole, forming much of Earth's outer and inner core. It is the fourth most common element in the Earth's crust...
pilings as well. The keepers called the United States Coast Guard
United States Coast Guard
The United States Coast Guard is a branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven U.S. uniformed services. The Coast Guard is a maritime, military, multi-mission service unique among the military branches for having a maritime law enforcement mission and a federal regulatory agency...
, which sent aid. Although the four men were evacuated, they returned the next day to begin repairs.