Cut-Off Channel Range Front Light Station
National Register of Historic Places

Cut-Off Channel Range Front Light Station

Fort Howard, Baltimore County, Maryland
Listed
December 2, 2002
Type
Structure
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
02001415

About this property

The Craighill Channel Upper Range Front Light is one of a pair of range lights that marks the second section of the shipping channel into Baltimore harbor. Work on the upper range lights commenced in 1885 and was completed in time to allow activation in January 1886. An initial plan to reuse the west North Point Range Light was discarded in favor of a tiny brick structure constructed on the foundation of the old light. The keeper's house was built on the shore, and a long wooden bridge allowed access to the light itself. Initially a locomotive headlight was installed to show a fixed white light. Three years after improvements to the keeper's house were made in 1890, the bridge to the light was destroyed by a storm. Rather than rebuild it, the headlight was moved to the exterior of the light, and the keeper took up residence in the light itself. The light was electrified and automated in 1929. Although there are some claims that the light was rebuilt in 1938, this is believed to be a misunderstanding based on discrepancies in the reported height of the light over the years. "Historic Light Station Information and Photography: Maryland" (PDF). United States Coast Guard Historian's Office. Craighill Range Lighthouses, from the Chesapeake Chapter of the United States Lighthouse Society Craighill Channel Upper Front Lighthouse at lighthousefriends.org Rowlett, Russ. "Lighthouses of the United States: Maryland". The Lighthouse Directory. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Chesapeake Bay Lighthouse Project - Craighill Channel Range Lights Cut-off Channel Range Front Light Station, Baltimore County, at Maryland Historical Trust

Location

Fort Howard, Baltimore County, Maryland
39.19711, -76.44835

Categories

MARITIME HISTORYTRANSPORTATIONARCHITECTURE
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Nearby Historic Sites

Todd Farmhouse
Industrial
1.3 mi
Cut-off Channel Range Rear Light Station
Industrial
1.5 mi
Craighill Channel Lower Range Front Light Station
Civil War
3 mi
Craighill Channel Lower Range Rear Light Station
Industrial
3.6 mi
Fort Carroll
Colonial
3.8 mi

Nearby Battles

Battle of North Point (Baltimore)
1814Early Republic
1.4 mi
Battle of North Point
1814Early Republic
2.1 mi
Battle of Baltimore — North Point Land Battle (Sep 12–13 1814)
1814Early Republic
3.9 mi
Battle of Baltimore / Fort McHenry
1814Early Republic
4.9 mi

Questions about this property

When was Cut-Off Channel Range Front Light Station listed on the National Register?

Cut-Off Channel Range Front Light Station was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on December 2, 2002.

What type of historic resource is Cut-Off Channel Range Front Light Station?

Cut-Off Channel Range Front Light Station is classified as a structure in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Cut-Off Channel Range Front Light Station?

The period of significance for Cut-Off Channel Range Front Light Station is recorded as the industrial era.

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