Holland Island Bar Lighthouse (original) (raw)

Holland Island, on Maryland's Eastern Shore, was once a fishing community. Today, the fishermen are gone, and the 160-acre island has been reduced to 80 acres by erosion. In 1889 a hexagonal screwpile light was built at Holland Island Bar to mark the approach to the Kedges Straits, which pass between South Marsh Island and Smith Island. The light was completed for $35,000, and housed a fixed fourth-order lens (with a red panel to indicate the straits) and fog bell. The light was constructed at theLazaretto Depot at the same time as theGreat Wicomico light.

In 1905, the Lighthouse Board considered converting the Holland Island Bar light into a front range light to guide ships through the straits, with a new 51-foot caisson light as the rear range. Ultimately the Solomons Lump light was deemed sufficient for marking the strait, and the rear range was never built.

Holland Island Bar was located in the center of the bay. Its relative isolation made it a more difficult assignment than some of the other bay lights. From 1896-1897, the logs record that the keeper visited shore to see his dying wife. Upon her death, the keeper noted his absence, but stated pointedly that "I had a substitute in my place." In 1898, the assistant keeper visited shore several times to see sick family members, and became sick himself on one occasion. In the winter of 1917-1918, assistant keeper W. F. McDorican struggled alone for a month to keep the light operational, despite terrible snowstorms and ice. Head keeper C. C. Tyler had gone ashore just prior to the storms, and was unable to return once the weather turned foul. An exhausted McDorican finally conceded and walked from the lighthouse across the frozen bay to Holland Island.

Holland Island Bar's isolation also contributed to the mystery surrounding the death of keeper Ullman Owens in 1931. Keeper Owens, who had served since 1911, was last seen alive on March 11, 1931. Shortly afterwards, keeper Henry Sterling ofSolomons Lump light observed that Holland Island Bar was not lit. Sterling's light was not equipped with a radio, so Sterling had to wait until a vessel came within hailing distance to communicate his concerns. Sterling finally was able to flag down the Winnie and Estelle, whose first mate, H. J. Garner, agreed to check on the keeper. On the way, Garner was joined by oyster boat captain John Tawes Tyler of Crisfield.

Garner and Tyler arrived at the Holland Island Bar light to find a horrific and bizarre scene. Keeper Ullman was dead in the kitchen. The kitchen was in disarray, as if there had been an altercation. There were blood stains throughout the station, and a bloody butcher's knife near Ullman's body. Despite the blood, there was no visible sign of any gunshots or stab wounds on Ullman's body - only scrapes and bruises.

Ullman had been unwell recently, and an inquest ruled that Ullman had suffered a fit related to an illness, and died of the fit. The Ullman family was not satisfied with this ruling. At the time Ullman died, a local captain observed a vessel underway without running lights - presumably a rum runner - whose wake led directly back to the lighthouse. A later autopsy revealed that Ullman suffered a cracked skull - a far more severe injury than identified in the initial examination. On May 12, federal agent C. J. Callahan testified that he overheard Guy Parkhurst, arrested for rum running, say "There go the rats that turned us in. Well, the lighthouse keeper got in the headlines. We did that. What these rats get will be worse."

Further complicating matters was that Ullman had several girlfriends - two of whom left their husbands. Some surmised that one of the ex-husbands was responsible for the keeper's demise. Ultimately, however, the investigation was closed as the autopsy revealed an enlarged heart - symptomatic of heart disease. The ruling that Ullman died of natural causes stood, and the case was closed.

Not all visitors to the lighthouse were hostile. Keeper Lewis Carman was visited by Franklin Roosevelt's son James when the president's son's yacht broke down. The lighthouse signalled the presidential yacht_Potomac_ which was nearby. Keeper Carman also gave radio personality Arthur Godfrey a tour of the light. Keeper Carman did have at least one unwelcome visitor - a Japanese freighter which collided with the lighthouse on a particularly foggy day. Fortunately, the freighter did not hit the lighthouse squarely - the freighter rolled off and continued on course.

Further misfortune befell the lighthouse on the night of February 19, 1957. Nearby, an old grounded hull of the_Hannibal_ was frequently used as target practice by pilots at the nearby Navy stations. One night, three pilots confused the lighthouse for the hulk. Flares were dropped at the "target" site, and three ADSN Skyraiders fired seven five-inch rockets - three of which hit the lighthouse. Fortunately, the practice rockets did not carry explosives, but they still managed to tear holes in the walls and cut several of the cast-iron legs. The keepers radioed the Coast Guard, and the lighthouse was evacuated. The next day, shaken but unhurt, the four Coastguardsmen returned to the station to begin repairs.

After surviving the elements, collisions, and a rocket attack, Holland Island Bar finally met its demise in 1960, when it was dismantled by the Coast Guard. An automated beacon was placed on the screwpile foundation.

(de Gast p. 166, Hornberger and Turbyville p. 83, Vojtech pp. 61, 83, 90-91, 105, 111-114, 131, 175-176)