Thomas Point Lighthouse In The Bay Needs Community's Support

ANNAPOLIS, MD — Built in 1875, the Thomas Point Lighthouse served as a beacon of light keeping boaters safe from the Thomas Point Shoal. As the last surviving screw pile lighthouse on the Chesapeake Bay and a Historic National Landmark, the lighthouse has weathered many storms and the test of time, but now it needs help.

The lighthouse became the responsibility of the City of Annapolis, the U.S. Lighthouse Society and the Annapolis Maritime Museum in 2004. The Chesapeake Chapter of the United States Lighthouse Society has managed the renovation process of the lighthouse and volunteers have worked hard to renovate the exterior and interior to resemble pre-1939 conditions.

But the lighthouse is showing severe deterioration, so supporters have put together a GoFundMe page to drum up the financial means to plow ahead with saving the lighthouse. The steel beams that hold up the lighthouse need to undergo a major restoration and while the project has received a $100,000 grant from the Maryland Historic Trust, it is not enough.

John Potvin, a member of the Chesapeake Lighthouse Society and a volunteer at Thomas Point Lighthouse, shared on the GoFundMe page that structural renovations are beginning yet this month.

"We are still short of our financial goal, and need more funding to get across the finish line in 2019," Potvin stated.

Anyone who donates $100 or more will receive a special edition 8x10 print of the lighthouse by artist Terrell Rene Theen.

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