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To most of us, hoisting a flag may seem like a simple task. But it was no simple task to reach that point at Maryland's Point Lookout Lighthouse.
The old massive flag pole at the lighthouse had not
been used since the station was closed in 1966. Years or neglect and rot had taken their toll on the flag pole. However, volunteers of the Point Lookout Lighthouse Preservation Society took the old pole down and restored it. Volunteers said that getting the gigantic pole back up was as much of a challenge as getting it down to restore it was. Fortunately no one was hurt in the process.
When the lighthouse was deactivated in 1966 Ray Hartzel was the last keeper. When he lowered the flag at the lighthouse for the last time, he requested permission to keep it and it has been in his possession all these years.
Hartzel returned to the lighthouse this past summer for the dedication of the restored flag pole that was attended by a number of the volunteers, local politicians along with Civil War reenactors. He brought along the station's old flag and donated it to the lighthouse.
This story appeared in the
October 2009 edition of Lighthouse Digest Magazine. The print edition contains more stories than our internet edition, and each story generally contains more photographs - often many more - in the print edition. For subscription information about the print edition, click here.
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