National Register of Historic Places
Turkey Point Light Station
North East vicinity, Cecil County, Maryland
The record
- Listed
- December 2, 2002
- Type
- Structure
- Address
- South Elk Neck State Park, North East vicinity
- County
- Cecil
- State
- Maryland
- Period of significance
- 1825 to 1949
- Contributing resources
- 2 structures
- Coordinates
- 39.44991, -76.00869
- Reference number
- 02001421
David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesBarry Lawrence Ruderman Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesBarry Lawrence Ruderman Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesBarry Lawrence Ruderman Map Collection, Stanford Libraries
The story
Written by AI from this property's National Register nomination and the record above; every sentence is checked against its sources before it appears here. Corrections: privacy@treealive.com
Turkey Point Light Station is a lighthouse structure near North East, in Cecil County, within South Elk Neck State Park. John Donahoo built its brick tower in 1833.
Why it's listed
It was listed in the National Register in 2002 under criteria A and C, with local significance in maritime history, transportation and architecture, and its period of significance runs from 1833, when the tower was built, to 1948, when the station was automated.
Physical character
The tower is built of bonded brick on a timber and stone crib foundation, topped with a nine-sided cast-iron lantern. In 1889 a second story was added to the keeper's quarters, finished in whitewashed board and batten, and outbuildings included a one-story fog signal building and a concrete oil house.
Historical context
Congress authorized $5,000 for the lighthouse in 1831, and the four-acre site was bought from John B. and Juliana Paca in 1832. Fannie May Salter became keeper in 1925 after her husband's death. The station was automated in 1948, replacing the manned service that had continued since 1833, and in 1971 the keeper's quarters and other outbuildings were demolished. In 2001 it was leased to the nonprofit organization Turkey Point Light Station Inc.