Seven Foot Knoll Lighthouse

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Seven Foot Knoll lighthouse takes its name from its original location—the rocky shoals where the mouth of the Patapsco River meets the Chesapeake Bay. The sandy, soft bottom of these shoals necessitated the construction of a screwpile-style lighthouse (as opposed to a straightpile model) where a hexagon-shaped building perches on pilings that are screwed into the bottom of the waterway. Built in 1856, Seven Foot Knoll is one of the oldest Chesapeake lighthouses still in existence and the oldest screwpile lighthouse in Maryland.

Managed by the U.S. Lighthouse Service, and later the U.S. Coast Guard, Seven Foot Knoll lighthouse served as a general aid for the navigation of ships. Keepers, therefore, had the crucial job of making sure the lighthouse was constantly functioning. Every night at sundown, keepers were responsible for lighting the beacon lamp and keeping it lit until sunrise the next morning, which required vigilance, as well as regular maintenance. Each morning, keepers cleaned the beacon lens and lamp thoroughly, so that they were ready for use in the evening. When there was fog, the fog bell had to be sounded continuously. This required winding the station's bell machine every 45 minutes until the fog lifted.

Although the Lighthouse Service did not officially permit keepers to bring their families to live in the lighthouse, at least two families did live there during the 1870s. Eva Marie “Knolie” Bowling, who was born in the lighthouse in 1875, recalled life in the lighthouse in an interview for a 1936 article in the Baltimore News. The lighthouse itself contained five rooms with space for both a library (the children were homeschooled by their mother) and a piano, she recalled. The small space underneath the lighthouse contained a hog pen and a chicken yard. During severe weather, the animals were transferred to the house for their safety. Storms also provided additional food, she added, when the family took advantage of the wildfowl who got caught in heavy winds and were dashed into the side of the lighthouse.

Conditions at Seven Foot Knoll were tough. Life in a lighthouse was isolating, and during winter months, it was challenging to heat the structure due to weather conditions and limited coal rations. In early 1900s, staff changed six times over a three-year period. In the 1970s, a report revealed that the lighthouse keeper’s position went vacant for over a year because of the remote location.

In the 1930s, the US Coast Guard considered automating Seven Foot Knoll. The shipping and maritime world protested, citing the heroic work of a lighthouse keeper who had rescued five people from drowning after a barge sank. Ultimately, however, the lighthouse was automated in 1949.

In 1997, the lighthouse was moved to Pier 5 on the Baltimore Harbor as one of the Baltimore Maritime Museum’s exhibits. Today Seven Foot Knoll lighthouse is operated by Historic Ships in Baltimore who oversee several ships in the harbor including the USS Constellation and USS Torsk.