Keeper of the Light

Each night, the keeper left his house to climb the 27 stairs and 6-rung iron ladder to the top of the lighthouse, doing this three times a night to refill the oil that kept the light burning and ships safe. The keeper's house was built in 1827, just after the Concord Point Lighthouse, by John Donohoo, who also built the lighthouse. The original plans called for a solid, simple house 34 feet by 20 feet with an attached kitchen, and all of the original house except the kitchen still stands. Many changes took place after 1827, including the addition of another story in 1884, interior alterations, and outbuildings. In 1920, when the lighthouse became automated with electricity, the house was sold and became a private home, and later a restaurant with a dance hall. In 1988, the State of Maryland purchased the house and gave it to the City of Havre de Grace, and the Friends of Concord Point Lighthouse began restoring it in 1990. Since the Concord Point Lighthouse was commissioned in 1827, many keepers maintained the light. The first keeper was John O’Neill, who served until his death in 1838. He had fought against British ships during the attack on Havre de Grace on May 3, 1813, and later served as town commissioner from 1829 to 1835. O’Neill’s descendants continued to live in the lighthouse, and several served as keepers until automation in 1920.

Havre de Grace, Maryland · United States