In 1873, Congress approved the funds to replace the existing Thomas Point Lighthouse with a screw-pile type of structure. By 1964 it was the last manned lighthouse in the Chesapeake Bay, and it was not automated until 1986. It is currently the last unaltered screw-pile cottage-type lighthouse on its original foundation in the Chesapeake Bay. In 1975 it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places and received National Historic Landmark status in 1999. In 2004, ownership of the lighthouse passed to the city of Annapolis, Maryland, which now maintains the structure in conjunction with Anne Arundel County, Maryland, the Annapolis Maritime Museum, and the Chesapeake Chapter of the U.S. Lighthouse Society. The United States Coast Guard continues to maintain the navigational aids.
2016
The Annapolis Woodworkers Guild involvement with the Thomas Point Shoals Lighthouse began in 2016 when the lighthouse was vandalized. Vandals broke into the lighthouse destroying glass and railing pickets, and damaging the interior as well. Will Hottle, the Guild president at the time, contacted the US Lighthouse Society and offered the Guild’s assistance to repair damage. He was told the vandalism damage repairs were already underway, but there were other issues at the lighthouse that the Guild could address. Some Guild members took an inspection tour of the lighthouse and they found significant exterior weather related damage. It was agreed that the primary task for the Guild was to fix/replace the rotted siding, wood trim, windows, shutters, etc.
2017
On May 19, 2017 Guild members Bernie Lammers, Virgil Ramey, and Jim Church began the repair work to the lighthouse. They were later joined by Guild members Jim Francis, Bruce Morris, Lon Slepicka, and Paul Hansen. Work on the lighthouse is weather dependent; it's a 20-30 minute boat ride to get out there. To facilitate the logistics of carrying power tools on each trip to the Light House, Bernie Lammers got a $2500 grant to buy the necessary power tools which could be left on site.
The agreed upon method for most repair was to use a Dutchman approach for the smaller rotted areas. The decayed material must first be removed and then a liquid stabilizer is applied followed with epoxy for the repair. The Abattron Product for such repairs was considered the best after several types were considered. For the much larger type of repair, solid wood was machined to replace the removed wood. Mahogany was the wood of choice for that repair. As of 2018, much of the repair work was completed.
2025
John Potvin is the organizing coordinator for the Thomas Point Shoal lighthouse. He
located a 5th order Fresnel lens, in storage for nearly 20 years, that he wanted to display
in a display case inside the lighthouse. John reached out to AWG to make a display case for this
lens. Bernie Lammers, Vince Antonioli, and Rick Hodgdon will meet John in July 2025 to design
this case. Paul Hansen and Jim Menefee also plan to work on the construction of the case. The
goal is to complete the case for this lens in 2025 and install the lens for the 2026 visitor season.
Fresnel lenses for lighthouses were originally designed in six orders, with the first order being
the largest and the sixth the smallest. The original Fresnel lens for Thomas Point is called a
“4th order” lens. It is a medium size lens, measuring 9.8” in diameter and standing 28.4” tall.
It hasn’t been weighed yet; but typically, they weigh between 440 and 660 lbs. These lenses
were designed to be more compact and efficient than traditional lenses, allowing for a stronger,
longer-range light signal. They were often situated on lakes and harbors.
The original 4th order Fresnel Lens was moved from from the United States Coast Guard Yard,
where it had been stored since 1986. It is now on display at the Chesapeake Bay Maritime
Museum in Annapolis as a key exhibit in the museum’s new facility.
2026
Rick Hodgdon and Vince Antonioli designed a case for a 5th order fresnel lens that had been in storage for over 20 years. They communicated with John Potvin to get the specific size requirements and restrictions. They, with help from Jim Menefee and Harry Chavez, constructed the case in Rick's workshop over the winter.
April 2026, the display case was taken to Thomas Point, and then transported to Thomas Point Lighthouse by boat. Vince, Rick, Bernie Lamers, Harry, and Ken Davis carefully and successfully hoisted the case into the lighthouse. The fresnel lens is now housed in this new display case, protected from the elements, for all visitors to see and enjoy.
