Lighthouses of Dorchester Event Slated for May 7 at Visitor Center

The Choptank River Lighthouse Society plans to build a replica of this screwpile lighthouse that once served the Choptank River. This photo is from the 1950s is presented courtesy of the Choptank River Lighthouse Society.

     Cambridge, MD --  Have you heard about the wild, five-mile ride two keepers took -- inside the lighthouse? Do you know which well known Dorchester County family can claim the keeper of the original Choptank River Lighthouse? Have you heard the latest on the Hooper Island Lighthouse? Find out all this and more during the first-ever Lighthouses of Dorchester Town Hall Event on Saturday, May 7, 2-4 p.m. at the Dorchester County Visitor Center, 2 Rose Hill Place in Cambridge.
     Guest speakers from the Chesapeake Chapter of the U.S. Lighthouse Society will share stories and history about lighthouses in the waters surrounding Dorchester County and throughout the Bay. Henry Gonzalez, Vice President of the national U.S. Lighthouse Society and former President of its Chesapeake chapter, along with Sandy Clunies, Chapter Historian, will present a fascinating slide show about these lighthouses. They will also describe their ongoing plans to preserve and restore the Hooper Island Lighthouse and how you can get involved as a volunteer.
     Members of the Board of the Choptank River Lighthouse Society will also be on hand to give an update on efforts to build a replica of the former Choptank River Lighthouse on Pier A of the Cambridge City Marina. Wendy Brewer, author of "Keep Your Glow On," the just published, comprehensive guide to more than 800 U.S. lighthouses, will sign copies of her book.
     “Lighthouses and lighthouse keepers are a very important part of the heritage of any maritime area, and Dorchester County is no exception, since it had both a screwpile lighthouse in the Choptank River and still has an operating caisson in the Bay,” said Gonzalez. “It’s vital to the success of any lighthouse preservation and interpretation activities that the local residents be active participants, so this Town Hall is a great opportunity for them to ‘come aboard!’”
     This event is being organized by the Choptank River Lighthouse Society and the Chesapeake Chapter of the U.S. Lighthouse Society. Free and open to lighthouse enthusiasts and to anyone intrigued by the iconic symbols of our maritime heritage. Light refreshments will be served, courtesy of Paul's Subs. Seating is limited; please reserve your spot by calling 410.228.7977.