Piney Point in St. Mary's County, Maryland — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Lighthouses of the Chesapeake
Lighting the Way
Photographed by Sean C Bath, November 28, 2021
1. Lighthouses of the Chesapeake Marker
Protecting ships from treacherous waters has been a necessity since ancient times when bonfires and strategically placed cottage lanterns warned seamen of dangers in fog and darkness. Light houses of the Potomac River waterways are variations of three basic styles: detached conical towers, dwellings with lantern-like cupolas built on shorelines and screw-pile lighthouses secured to the floors of the waterways-all of which replaced some of the early lightships. The Piney Point Lighthouse is a conical type and stands approximately 30 feet from the keeper's house.
[Captions:]
The Piney Point Lighthouse is an example of the conical style. Photo courtesy of St. Mary's County Museum Division.
(Clockwise from above) The Lightship Chesapeake. Photo courtesy of Anthony Pasek. Drum Point Lighthouse, typical of a screw-pile lighthouse. Photo courtesy of Laura Hammett Photography. Blackistone Lighthouse, example of a cupola-style lighthouse. Photo courtesy of St. Mary's County Museum Division.
Erected by Commissioners of St. Mary's County; St. Mary's County Museum Division; Friends of the St. Clement's Island and Piney Point Museum; Destination Southern Maryland; Southern Maryland Heritage Area; Maryland Heritage Area Authority.
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Location. 38° 8.132′ N, 76° 31.763′ W.
Marker is in Piney Point, Maryland, in St. Mary's County. It can be reached from Lighthouse Road. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Piney Point MD 20674, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Southern Maryland. It is also in the American South, specifically in the Upper South, in the Mid-Atlantic, in the Tidewater, and in the Chesapeake Bay Region. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds 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 marker: Piney Point (within shouting distance of this marker); Piney Point Lighthouse (within shouting distance of this marker); The Lighthouse Keeper's Quarters (within shouting distance of this marker); Potomac River Military Testing (within shouting distance of this marker); Bay Lights (within shouting distance of this marker); Osprey (within shouting distance of this marker); Map of Lower Potomac River and Chesapeake Bay (within shouting distance of this marker); a different marker also named Piney Point Lighthouse (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Piney Point.
Other markers no longer nearby. The Lighthouse Keeper's Quarters (was within shouting distance of this marker but has been replaced with another marker now near it); Natural Highways (was within shouting distance of this marker but has been permanently removed); a different marker also named Piney Point Lighthouse (was within shouting distance of this marker but has been reported to have been replaced with another marker now near it).
Credits. This page was last revised on October 5, 2022. It was originally submitted on March 2, 2022, by Sean C Bath of Silver Spring, Maryland. This page has been viewed 254 times since then and 12 times this year. Photo 1. submitted on March 2, 2022, by Sean C Bath of Silver Spring, Maryland. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.
