Concord Point Light is a 36-foot (11 m) lighthouse in Havre de Grace , Maryland . It overlooks the point where Susquehanna River flows into the Chesapeake Bay , an area of increasing navigational traffic when it was constructed in 1827. It is the northernmost lighthouse and the second-oldest tower lighthouse still standing on the bay.
5-490: Concord Point Light is currently listed as a private aid to navigation. Concord Point Light is among the many Maryland lighthouses built by John Donahoo , who also built its keeper's house across the street. The tower is constructed of Port Deposit granite . The walls are 31 inches (790 mm) thick at the base and narrow to 18 inches (460 mm) at the parapet. The lantern was originally lit with nine whale oil lamps with 16-inch (410 mm) tin reflectors. In 1854,
10-570: A fifth-order Fresnel lens borrowed from the Coast Guard was installed in the lantern room. John Donahoo John Donahoo (sometimes spelled Donahoe ) (c. 1786–1858) was a lighthouse builder active in Maryland for much of the first half of the nineteenth century. Little is known of Donahoo's life, but he appears to have been an active citizen in Havre de Grace, Maryland , for much of his career; he
15-470: A sixth-order Fresnel lens was installed. This was later upgraded to a fifth-order Fresnel lens. The lighthouse was automated in 1920. Among the lighthouse's keepers from 1827 to the mid-1900s were several members of the O'Neill family. The first O'Neill, John O'Neill had defended the town of Havre de Grace by manning a cannon battery on Concord Point during the War of 1812 . By 1924, local documents describe
20-530: The lighthouse area as being "seriously blighted"; it apparently remained that way for many years. The lighthouse was decommissioned by the Coast Guard in 1975; soon after that, the lens was stolen. The structure was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976. Extensive restoration work began in 1979. The keeper's house has since been restored and is open to the public as a museum. In 1983,
25-475: Was an election judge and town commissioner, and served on the school board. He was also an active businessman, with concerns in fishing and real estate. As a builder, Donahoo attracted the attention of Stephen Pleasonton , Fifth Auditor of the United States Treasury and overseer of lighthouse construction for the government; Donahoo's prices were low and the quality of his work was good. Consequently, he
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