Thomas Point Shoal Lighthouse

Thomas Point in Winter Ice

The following photographs were taken during the winter of 1976-77 by U.S. Coast Guard lighthouse keeper Thomas E. Albert. This was the last winter of significant ice accumulation in the Chesapeake Bay and at this time is the only modern photographs that we have of ice at the lighthouse. Our thanks to Keeper Albert for sharing them:
	Thomas Point Shoal Lighthouse “encased” in ice. Notice the merchant ships in the background.

	A closer view of the mound of ice.

	The ice and sunset.

	Icicles hang from the lighthouse main deck

	Even the Keeper’s cat want to get into the action and check out the ice!

The following photographs were taken during the winter of 1976-77 by Randy Loftus of Annapolis. Randy was aboard the John C. Widener, a DNR ice breaker and delivered about 500 gallons of fresh water on the in the dead of winter to the 2 Coast Guardsmen that lived on it. Randy says that the winter was so cold that the water pipe that runs into Arundel on the Bay had burst. The Coasties gave Randy and his shipmates a “red carpet tour” of the light which he says he’ll never forget.