Saint Clement's Island
The Birthplace of Maryland
1634
Saint Clement's Island is one of the most important sites in Maryland, but it still isn't very well known outside of the local region.
On November 22, 1633, the Ark and the Dove set sail from Cowes, Isle of Wright, England. Led by Governor Leonard Calvert, the ships arrived on March 25th, 1634. The group that assembled here left England in search of religious freedom, something that was non existent in their homeland. They sailed north along the coast, passing Cape Hatteras and entering the Chesapeake Bay. The 2 small ships turned into the mouth of the Potomac, and landed on the first island they found. They named the island in honor of Pope Saint Clement I, the patron saint of mariners. The same day as their arrival at the island, Father Andrew White celebrated the first Roman-Catholic mass in the British ruled colonies under a cross made out of trees.
It wasn't long before the colonists realized that the 400 acre island wasn't going to be large enough for the new settlement, so they reached a deal with the local "Indian King" to purchase "30 Miles of Land".
Blackistone Island
In 1669, the Saint Clement's Island became part of a dowry for Elizabeth Gerard in her marriage to Nehemiah Blackistone. The island was part of the Blackistone family for 162 years, and retained the name for even longer. The name Saint Clement's Island wasn't restored until 1961.
The Blackistone Island Lighthouse
In 1848, Congress appropriated $3,500 for the construction of a lighthouse on Blackistone Island. John Donahoo was awarded the contract for $4,535 to build the light. The light was a common design for Donahoo, an integral lighthouse, a 2 story keepers dwelling with a tower through the center. The light was located on a 2 acre plot on the southernmost tip of the island. The lighthouse was completed and first lit in 1851.
The lighthouse is probably most famous for the incident in which Confederate Captain John Goldsmith, who himself once owned the island, set out at night in a 30 foot sailboat with a group of raiders intending to blow up the lighthouse. Despite a Union gunboat anchored nearby, Captain Goldsmith succeeded in landing at the island and gaining access to the lighthouse. Upon entering, the Captain found the lighthouse keepers wife pregnant, and after some debating with the keeper, Jerome McWilliams, who was an acquaintance of Captain Goldsmiths, the raiders only destroyed the lens and made off with the fuel oil for the lamp. Soon after the incident, Union soldiers arrived from Point Lookout and were stationed there along with a gunboat until the end of the Civil War.
On July 16, 1956 a fire swept Blackistone Island, damaging the lighthouse beyond repair. The Navy decided the ruins of the light were a safety hazard and ordered that the light be torn down. No one knows what started the fire on Blackistone, but the common belief is that a stray shell from the Dahlgren Proving Ground may have started the blaze.
As of 2008, volunteer groups have rebuilt the lighthouse from it's original floor plan. The new light is a beautiful sight and is identical to every picture of the original. The link to the lighthouse page is at the bottom of the article. There is a water taxi that runs out of the St. Clement's Island Museum that allows access to the island and up close views of the light. Check their website for times when the light is open for tours.
Attempts at Development
After the Civil War, the McWilliams family attempted to develop the island. They built a steamship dock, cottages, and a bath house. The family grew crops and worked the area around the island for fish and oysters, which were carried by steamships to ports all around the area. A hotel was built on the island as it's prosperity grew steadily. One final attempt involved creating individual plots, along with named streets on the island. 1889 spelled an end to the island economic boom. A spell of overly fresh water in the Potomac River decimated oyster populations, the main source of income for the McWilliams family. Soon after, Joseph McWilliams was forced to sell the island. The next owner tried to do more of the same, building 3 more cottages on the island, as well as starting a tomato canning factory, but by 1919 the U.S. Navy had taken over the land, building a landing strip and tearing down the cottages.
St. Clement's Today
Like all islands in the Chesapeake Bay, erosion has taken it's toll on St. Clement's Island. Of it's original 400 acres, about 40 remain today. Heron Island, which was just to the east of Saint Clement's, is completely gone, nothing more than a shoal now. A giant concrete cross was erected as a monument to the first settlers in 1934, and can be seen on the island as well as from the Potomac. A replica of the Blackistone Island Lighthouse has been reconstructed through volunteer efforts and donations. Being on an island, it was extremely difficult to land heavy machinery, and most of the lighthouse, including the mixing of the mortar and concrete for the foundation, had to be done by hand, just as the original was. As mentioned earlier, the St. Clement's Island Museum offers a water taxi to and from the island, a link will be provided at the bottom of the page for more information. I encourage you to check out the museum, it's full of interesting artifacts, with lots of unique information about the area.
Maryland DNR Page on the St. Clement's Island State Park:
http://www.dnr.state.md.us/publiclands/southern/stclements.html
St. Mary's County Museums St. Clement's Page:
http://www.co.saint-marys.md.us/recreate/museums/stclementsisland.asp
SOMD Magazine article on the Replica Lighthouse:
http://somdthisisliving.somd.com/vol9num2/blackistone-lighthouse.html
References:
Maryland DNR
Forgotten Beacons: Patrick Hornberger & Linda Turbyville, this is an excellent book, I highly suggest that you pick it up.
Wikipedia
2008 east85.com
