Did you know...

A small sampling of Dominik Sasim's collection

Did you know that one of our lapel pins is on its way to Warsaw, Poland right now to be included in a museum pin collection held by Mr. Dominik Sasim?  We were contacted by Mr. Sasim last week requesting a Concord Point Lighthouse pin to add to his collection and we happily sent him one along with our brochures.  I asked Mr. Sasim to give us a little information about his collection for the blog:

"I have been collecting lapel pins and badges from museums all over the world for over four years now.  My hobby began with the collection of post stamps together with my father. Later I switched to badges and label pins from various museums.  Now, after nearly four years of collecting I have managed to gather over 1500 of them, out of which 700 are of foreign origin. My collection expands mainly thanks to exchange with other collectors as well as via internet auctions. My friends and colleagues also remember my hobby and often bring these small souvenirs  for me from their domestic or international voyages. Additionally I often visit museums myself in search of new gadgets for my collection. With some of them I maintain contact relation.

The oldest and most valuable exhibit in my collection is the badge from the already nonexistent Museum of Archeology in Warsaw that dates back in 1933 and Mausoleum of Zwirko and Wigura in Cierlicko in 1935. I also possess rare exhibits from the most remote locations in the world, like for example, the ones from Dorothy G. Page Museum in Wasilla, Alaska, or from the Museum of Musical Instruments in Japan, or Museum at South Georgia Island near Antarctica and the Falkland Islands Museum. I also have pins with museums in Africa, North and South America, Australia and Asia. My favourite badge is the one from the Juna Museum of Earth from Szklarska Poreba in Poland as well as the badge representing Bluenose II Lunenburg schooner from the Fisheries Museum of the Atlantic in New Scotland. This is in fact only a start of a collection which I intend to systematically develop and expand with new exhibits!"

Thank you Mr. Sasim and we look forward to seeing your collection develop!

"The Lighthouse Endeavor"

Little River Lighthouse in Cutler, Maine has embarked on a unique educational program.  Bill Kitchen, the designated 'Light Keeper' and longtime volunteer at the lighthouse, will live alone at the lighthouse (located on a remote island) for a year and share his experiences in various ways, including a blog: http://thelighthouseendeavor.com/keepers-log/

Apparently, this is the first time that something like this has been attemped in the lighthouse's 164 year history.  In the past, the keeper would have had his family or other keepers with him on the island.  Keeper Bill won't be totally alone, though.  He will have an internet connection and be able to blog and use Skype to communicate with others on the mainland.

The Lighthouse Endeavor website states, "Its primary mission is to be an on-site and distance learning program that will address a wide range of subjects from technology to ecology and math to preservation, as well as history."


What a fascinating challenge!  Follow along with Keeper Bill as he journals about his experiences at the Little River Lighthouse.

Volunteer Soup Night

Jim Dryden, President, and Matilda O'Neill (Susan Wooden)

Shawn Saez and his wife, Carol chat with Matilda

Matilda O'Neill (Susan Wooden)

Our youngest volunteer!

Last night, we had a wonderful reception honoring our amazing volunteers! This year, they put in over 650 hours working at the tower and the museum gift shop.  No matter how many or how few hours they are able to contribute, our volunteers are dedicated to keeping the lighthouse one of the premier destinations in Maryland and we couldn't do it without them!  Some have been volunteering for 30 years!  What a fantastic group of people.

At the reception we were visited by two very special guests.  First, Matilda O'Neill (played by Susan Wooden) came to tell us some very entertaining stories about her father, John.  And, Mayor Wayne Dougherty also took time from his extremely busy schedule to come by and compliment our volunteers and share his appreciation of all of their hard work.  Thank you, Mayor and Matilda!

And, the best part is that there is always room for new volunteers to join us and be a part of this great group.  If you are interested in volunteering at the lighthouse or museum, please contact us through our website at www.concordpointlighthouse.org, our email: concordpointlighthouse@verizon.net or call us at 410-939-3213.  We welcome you!

Donations and Gift Giving



This is just a sampling of the prints donated by Mr. Brooks

All contributions to the Concord Point Lighthouse are important and appreciated, whether they are monetary or in-kind gifts.  Recently, we were given a wonderful gift of lighthouse prints and posters.  Bob Brooks, a Life Member, donated multiple prints to the lighthouse.  Thank you, Bob!  These images will be important teaching aids, showing the amazing variety of lighthouse locations and daymarks. Every lighthouse is unique and these prints illustrate these unique aspects.  Lighthouses have always been a popular symbol and this is illustrated as well, running the gamut from wine labels to stamps.  We are honored to receive this gift and look forward to incorporating these images into future exhibits.



Fanny Mae Salter cleaning the lens at Turkey Point, 1945.
image found http://www.uscg.mil/history/people/salters01.asp

There are two articles of interest in the Nov/Dec issue of Lighthouse Digest.  One highlights the work of Keeper Fanny Mae Salter.  She served at the Turkey Point Lighthouse after her husband passed away in 1925.  She served 22 years at Turkey Point, retiring in 1947.  Interestingly, she was first determined too young to serve by the Civil Service, but after appeals to her Senator and eventually President Calvin Coolidge, she was appointed as keeper.  She was 43 at the time!  Mrs. Salter became the last female lighthouse keeper in the United States in 1932 and garnered quite a bit of fame, even appearing in a 1936 article in National Geographic.  A local celebrity!  As you all know, Turkey Point was built by John Donahoo in the same style as Concord Point and commenced operation in 1833.  It is also the tallest lighthouse on the Chesapeake Bay.

The second article of note is about the relighting of Pooles Island Lighthouse on Aberdeen Proving Ground.  The lighthouse had been dark for 72 years before the Army decided to relight it using solar panels.  We will probably be seeing more about this lighthouse as Maj. General Nick Justice is using it as a symbol of the restructuring at Aberdeen and it is now their ‘light to the future’. 

Visit The Lighthouse Digest website for more information: http://www.lhdigest.com/

Concord Point Lighthouse has a blog!  This next year promises to be very interesting for the lighthouse and keeper's dwelling so check back often for more information.  In the meantime, have a wonderful holiday season and visit the lighthouse to see it decked out in all of its holiday finery!