In 1883, Drum Point Lighthouse was built to mark the northern approach to the Patuxent River, where vessels traveling up or down the Chesapeake often sought winter protection from floating ice and faced danger from a low sand spit at the entrance that could not be seen at night. Originally located due south of Drum Point, one hundred twenty yards offshore on five acres of submerged land conveyed by Maryland to the federal government, the white-painted hexagonal wooden structure stood on seven iron screwpiles. Its prefabricated, numbered parts allowed assembly in only thirty-three days. A fourth-order Fresnel lens was installed and first lit on August 20, 1883, showing a fixed red light. The living quarters had four equal-size first-floor rooms for a kitchen, sitting room, and two bedrooms, while the second floor had two additional rooms, including one for the bell striking mechanism. Four two hundred-gallon tanks collected water from the roof.