To visit the Fort Carroll Lighthouse, take Exit 1 off of I-695. Make a right on Quarantine Road. Then make a left on Hawkins Point Road. Then make another left on Fort Armistead Road and continue into Fort Armistead Park. The road ends at waterfront parking lot. Park and walk down the stairs to the sea-wall and Fort Carroll and its lighthouse will be directly infornt of you across the water. This is the closest place to see the lighthouse without renting a boat and going over to the fort. If you are going to photograph the lighthouse from the park, make sure that you do not go there alone. I did not feel very safe there. We went in, took a couple pictures, and got out as quickly as we could.
As the city of Baltimore grew, its deep-water harbor became an increasingly important resource for the developing city. As the city relied more heavily on its ports, the US government decided that it needed to protect these waters from potential enemies. In 1849, the government began constructing a man-made island, on top of which a fort would be built to protect the area.
Once the fort was completed, a small lighthouse was added to guide shipping around the fort. This lighthouse held a sixth-order Fresnel lens. Later, in 1898, the lighthouse was torn down and a new one was constructed 100 feet to the north of the original tower. The new tower was fitted with a larger and more powerful fifth-order Fresnel lens. After WWI, the fort was no longer needed and was abandoned. Its lighthouse was later automated in 1920. The lighthouse was decommissioned in 1945.
Since 1945, the fort has been used for various
military purposes. During WWII, the fort was used temporarily to house foreign seamen and a firing range. The Coast Guard again used the fort for a small arms training program in 1955. In 1958, the fort was sold to a private owner who had plans to develop it into a restaurant and casino. However, these plans never took place, and the fort was sold again in 2000 to a local developer. For more history of Fort Carroll, visit Shedding Light.org.
Today, the island and the fort remain closed to the public. The lighthouse is in need of extensive repairs and is listed on the "endangered" list by Lighthouse Digest. The best way to view the light is by boat. The light is visible from land, but viewing can be difficult/impossible depending on the weather. I recommend that you take a pair of binoculars to aid you in seeing the light. To obtain a good photograph of the lighthouse from land, go on a clear afternoon to avoid the sun interfering with your shot. A tele-zoom lens is a must for that close up shot!!!
