A day with my mom.
I was going to tell you about a lighthouse, and I'm still going to talk about that lighthouse, but the story is The Point. Piney Point is, and always has been, a waterfront community. I don't know what the ratio of residences to vacation homes is anymore, but I've personally never heard anyone mention their 'beach house at The Point'. One side of the road is entirely beach, gazebos and the water splashing against docks. The other side of the street, the corresponding houses, manicured lawns and nautical porchfronts, neighboring each other until the winding road ends at the Maritime Museum.
Check in at the gift shop, where you pay an easy admittance to the museum and lighthouse. The six acre grounds are public park and beach. After showing yourself around the lighthouse museum to the back of the gift shop, a guide accompanies you to the Maritime Museum. Life size diaramas aboard retired trollers illustrate the history and importance of oyster trolling on the Potomac.
The lighthouse and keeper quarters, built 1835 by John Donahoo, remain on their original foundations, despite the sands and storms of time.
The first of eleven lighthouses along the Potomac River, the land-based beacon replaced a lightship stationed in the area between Piney Point and Ragged Point (Va) protecting the steamships from the shoals, 1821-1835.
Her original light was composed of ten lamps and 15in reflectors, replaced in 1855 by the popular Fresnel lens.
The lamp has been removed, but the pedestal remains in tact and in place.
The keeper quarters, originally one story, 20x30, had it's second story added for comfort in 1884
From 1820-1910, The Point served as a summer resort for several U.S. Presidents, and Washington dignitaries. The Piney Point Hotel closed for good in 1933, due to Hurricane damage.
The lighthouse was completely decommissioned in 1964, the Coast Guard kept the property as housing.
In 1980, the Coast Guard deeded Piney Point to St. Mary's County, and the lighthouse was given to the Department of Recreation and Parks, which allowed the St. Clement's Island - Potomac River Museum to take over the site.
The quarters are not open for touring, but are available for private event rental.
I think any good tour should leave you even more interested than when you began, and while the actual tour is summed up in an hour, I walked -or drove- away from Piney Point with tons more questions.
The entire steamboat era was a happening time for the the ports and river communities. Apparently, the historical society continues to dig up evidence of The Point's adult entertainments and extra curricular activities. There isn't exactly much 'on the books' about the times.
They do know it was a popular get-a-way, with it's own commerce, and even a house of ill repute.
Some of the light keepers weren't even able to keep their noses clean, as Ms. Charlotte Sutter was dismissed in 1846 for running a tavern at the expense of the lighthouse, and in 1863, R.J. Marshall was forced to close his general store when accused of supplying both sides of the Civil War.
With mental images of an 1800's 'Boardwalk Empire' fresh in my imagination, Mom and I headed to the beach to take advantage of the overcast, and watch the waves crash in.
As of June 30, 2012, GenOn shut the oil distribution down, making the switch to natural gas and other abundant, efficient fuels. They advise the pipe is to be cleaned and filled with nitrogen in order to prevent deterioration.
*Piney Point is also the site of the sunken U-1105 Black Panther, a WWII Nazi sub that patrolled our waterways until their surrender at the end of the war. This subject and more to follow in separate posts.
One of the best days ever, my Robin :-) We will have LOTS more! Love this post! Love you!
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