Behind the Scenes at Thomas Point Lighthouse

On a recent Tuesday afternoon, as he spoke to the dozens of people gathered at the , Greg Greggory of Kensington, MD, talked about his passion for the Thomas Point Shoal Lighthouse.

The self-proclaimed “Thomas Point Lighthouse junkie” said he remembers seeing it as a kid.

Today he serves as co-director of lighthouse tours.

“See, this lighthouse has special meaning to me, which is why I wanted to get involved,” Greggory said.

Click for an extensive photo gallery of the unique lighthouse.

It is the last screw-pile lighthouse still in its original location in the country, according to a recent media release from the museum. It has guided boaters since 1875 and continues to do so, though since 1986, it is no longer manned by the U.S. Coast Guard.

Today, it is automated. It is also a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration weather station.

Since 2004, the city of Annapolis has owned the lighthouse, but the U.S. Lighthouse Society has managed it.

The Annapolis Maritime Museum also plays a special role. The museum’s role is to provide “public interpretation,” Jeff Holland, director of the museum, told the media and volunteers attending the recent tour. He added that this involves recruiting and training volunteers to serve as docents.

Among those volunteers who make it possible for visitors to enjoy the National Historic Landmark is Bob Stevenson of Edgewater.

As he sat aboard the motor vessel Sharps Island, led by Capt. Michael Richards, Stevenson leaned in so those onboard could hear him over the wind, pointing to his map and explaining to visitors exactly where they were.

Since 2004, Stevenson has been involved both as a docent or tour guide with the museum and a volunteer with the U.S. Lighthouse Society.

Much like Greggory, Stevenson said his interest in the landmark goes way back, particularly because of his interest in nautical history.

Stevenson said he became involved as a volunteer after he retired earlier than he expected. In 2004, he said he attended a training session at the Eastport Volunteer Firehouse.

“It’s far more special then I imagined,” Stevenson said of the experience.

Since his time volunteering, one full room—the assistant lighthouse keeper's room—has been almost completely transformed back to how it looked in the days it was manned by the coast guard, with pistachio-colored walls and an old television.

Stevenson said the process is in its third season, calling it "exhausting." He said only a few people can work on the project a time.

He said workers don "Tyvek suits, respirators, gloves, eye masks—the whole bit."

Also on hand, helping visitors up the narrow ladders inside the house was Annapolis resident Ellen Penndorf.

“I love being on the water,” Penndorf said of her decision to volunteer as a docent, adding that there is “nothing else like” the Thomas Point Shoal Lighthouse.

Penndorf added that volunteering also provided her a way to give back to the community.

What to Expect

“This house was built from the concept of an older Victorian home,” Greggory said.

He said just as Victorian homes have an outhouse in the back, the lighthouse has a privy.

He said everything inside the lighthouse was based on logic. Which can be seen in the small details—a hoist built to lift gear up a spiral staircase, three red panels on the light to warn people of shallow waters, and a thick wooded area used to store oil so the keeper could grab it on his way upstairs.

Sprinkled throughout the lighthouse are glimpses into the days of when it was manned by the U.S. Coast Guard—photos of the last official keeper before taking off, etchings on the wall, and scribblings on the rocks outside the lighthouse.

Tour Information

Tours will be held on July 16 and 17 and Aug. 13 and 14 at noon and 3 p.m. each day. The tours cost $70 per person. The tour takes off from the Annapolis Maritime Museum docks on Back Creek.

Bring sunscreen, comfortable shoes and be prepared to do a lot of climbing. For more information, visit the Annapolis Maritime Museum’s website. Visitors are required to be at least 12 years old and at least 48 inches tall, according to a museum press release.

To learn more about how to become a docent at the lighthouse, visit the museum's website. To learn how to volunteer with the U.S. Lighthouse Society to restore the landmark, visit. www.thomaspointlighthouse.org.