Seen here is an 1871 drawing of the Love Point Lighthouse that was located off the northern end of K
Seen here is an 1871 drawing of the Love Point Lighthouse that was located off the northern end of Kent Island in Maryland. The lighthouse, built in 1872, is an example of a screw-pile lighthouse, several of which were built along the Chesapeake Bay during the 19th century. The drawing depicts the typical structuring of a screw-pile lighthouse in which iron piles are screwed into the bottom of the bay. These lighthouses typically had one centrally located pile surrounded either by six to eight perimeter piles, depending on whether the lighthouse was hexagonal or octagonal in shape. The piles would be used to form the foundation of lighthouses built on sandy or muddy shore bottoms. The keeper’s dwelling was then built on top of the pile foundation, with the light of the lighthouse placed on top of the dwelling. Screw-pile style lighthouses were largely susceptible to ice damage and were often replaced with caisson type lighthouses. Few of these screw-pile lighthouses survive today. The Love Point Lighthouse suffered several damaged pilings during its first winter and again in 1879. However, it remained in operation and was automated in 1953. The house was then removed in 1964 and replaced with a small light and fog bell. Want to learn more about our holdings? You can also learn more by visiting NARA’s online catalog www.catalog.archives.gov or making an appointment to view our holdings at the National Archives at Philadelphia by calling (215) 305-2044 or emailing philadelphia.archives@nara.gov.Today’s post is written by Amy Carr, Digitization and Metadata Intern at the National Archives at Philadelphia. Citation: https://catalog.archives.gov/id/148952255 -- source link