Lazaretto Point Light (replica)
Baltimore, MD, Original cir. 1831, Replica 1985
The lighthouse tower at Lazaretto Point was built in 1831 by John Donahoo. It stood 31 feet high and was accompanied by a small keepers dwelling and fog bell tower. It was once one of the main navigational aids for entering Baltimore. As construction on the point progressed, the lighthouse became partially obscured and of limited use. It was torn down in 1929 and replaced by a steel tower, which in its turn, was torn down in 1954. Lazaretto Point's significance extends beyond the lighthouse. In 1863 it became one of the main lighthouse depots for the Bay. As such, many of the Bays screwpile lighthouses were constructed and repaired here. Numerous lighthouse tenders docked and resupplied here. And the yard was used for delivery and storage of caissons, buoys, and many varied supplies. Therefore, most of the central Bay lighthouses have some connection to Lazaretto Point. In the 1920s, as lighthouses steadily became automated, the Lazaretto facility was cut back and much of its workload shifted to Portsmouth. It was eventually closed down in 1958 and the land was sold to a commercial company. The current replica of Donahoo's original lighthouse was erected in 1985 by the owners of Rukert Terminals Corporation in memory of their father Norman G. Rukert Sr. and as a tribute to the heritage of the Point.
