Upper Cedar Point Light

Infobox Lighthouse

---

caption = Upper Cedar Point Light, seen from the air during the 1920s
location = 2 miles West of Matthias Point in the Potomac River
coordinates = coord|38.4027|N|77.0826|W|type:landmark
yearlit = 1867
automated =
yeardeactivated = 1963
foundation = screw-pile
construction = cast-iron/wood
shape = square houseThe Upper Cedar Point Light was a screw-pile lighthouse in the Potomac River in Maryland. It was first lit in 1867 and served, except for a brief period of inactivity, until being dismantled in 1963.

History

The station had been served by a lightvessel since 1821. In 1867 a small square screw-pile structure was constructed at the site. It served until 1876, when the Mathias Point Light was constructed to the east. The Lighthouse Board received numerous complaints, however, and reactivated the light in 1882. It remained active until 1963, when it was dismantled and replaced with a small automatic tower mounted on the original foundation.

Upper Cedar Point Light was tended by a black keeper and assistant keeper for a time in the 1870s, one of the few American lighthouses to be so served.

References

* [http://www.cheslights.org/heritage/upcedarpt.htm Chesapeake Chapter, USLHS page]
*cite book
last= de Gast
first= Robert
title= The Lighthouses of the Chesapeake
year= 1973
publisher= Johns Hopkins University Press p. 158