On May 23, 1828, Congress awarded the contract to build the Point Lookout Lighthouse to John Donohoo, who also built the similar Blackistone Light which we visited in 2011 (see here). The Point Lookout Lighthouse began operation on September 20, 1830 serving to warn mariners in the Chesapeake Bay of nearby shoals and to mark the entrance to the Potomac River. During the Civil War a hospital, prisoner of war camp and Army garrison were located on Point Lookout near the lighthouse.
In 1965, an automated light was built on a sandbar off Point Lookout, and on January 11, 1966, the Lookout Point Lighthouse went dark.
Oh, yeah! One of my old hangouts.
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