Inner Harbor in Baltimore, Maryland — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Seven Foot Knoll Lighthouse
Seven Foot Knoll Lighthouse was the second screwpile lighthouse built by the U.S. Lighthouse Service. It was originally located 15 miles southeast of here in the Chesapeake Bay, marking the entrance to the Patapsco River and the approach to Baltimore Harbor. The 47-foot-high, round lighthouse was completed by the Baltimore iron foundry of Murray and Hazelhurst in 1856 at a cost of just over $30,000. It was constructed from rolled-iron plates, drilled and riveted together, and supported on nine cast-iron screwpiles which were screwed into the Bay bottom and eliminated a need for an underwater masonry foundation.
The light at Seven Foot Knoll marked the outer entrance to Baltimore's busy harbor and was manned from 1856 until 1948, when the Coast Guard automated it. In 1988, Seven Foot Knoll Lighthouse was officially retired to Pier 5 in Baltimore's Inner Harbor. Today, this lighthouse is a National Historic landmark welcoming visitors daily.
[Captions:]
This ca. 1900 image shows the Seven Foot Knoll Lighthouse in its original location at the entrance of the Patapsco River. Its screwpile supports were vulnerable
this page online
Left: This chart from the 1860s shows the original location of the Seven Foot Knoll Lighthouse at the entrance of the Patapsco River, 14 mi. from its present location. The small numbers represent depth soundings.
Erected by Historic Ships in Baltimore, Living Classrooms Foundation.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Communications • Waterways & Vessels. In addition, it is included in the Lighthouses, and the National Historic Landmarks series lists. A significant historical year for this entry is 1856.
Location. This marker has been replaced by another marker nearby. It was located near 39° 17.028′ N, 76° 36.328′ W. Marker was in Baltimore, Maryland. It was in the Inner Harbor. It could be reached from Eastern
Regionally, this marker was in Central Maryland. It was also in the American Mid-Atlantic, in the Chesapeake Bay Region, and on the Eastern Seaboard. Globally, it was in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it found itself in what was once one of the original Thirteen Colonies and also the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this location: A different marker also named Seven Foot Knoll Lighthouse (a few steps from this marker); The Last Pearl Harbor Survivor (about 500 feet away); Tilly's Escape (about 600 feet away); Pathways to Freedom (about 600 feet away); Mr. Trash Wheel (about 600 feet away); Jones Falls (about 600 feet away); Baltimore Public Works Museum (about 700 feet away); How Can We All Help? (about 700 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Baltimore.
Other markers
Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), February 17, 2020
3. Sign near the base of the lighthouse
Historic Ships in Baltimore
✯ Seven Foot Knowll ✯
Lighthouse
Erected in 1856, marking the entrance to the Patapsco River and Baltimore Harbor
Related marker. Click here for another marker that is related to this marker. This marker replaces the linked marker.
Credits. This page was last revised on April 3, 2023. It was originally submitted on February 17, 2020, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 356 times since then and 27 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on February 17, 2020, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
