Pooles Island Lighthouse, Maryland
- Finished size 12" W x 12" H
- Cotton fabrics, thread sketching, ribbon, and inked details, cotton batting
- Machine pieced, appliquéd, and quilted
History of Pooles Island Lighthouse
This small island in the upper Chesapeake Bay was named by the explorer John Smith for crew member Nathaniel Powell. The name eventually was corrupted to Pooles.
The lighthouse, forty feet high, was built by John Donohoo in 1825 of rough-cut granite blocks. It was then stuccoed and whitewashed. In 1917 the lighthouse was automated. At that time the island became the property of the Aberdeen Proving Ground, rendering the lighthouse inaccessible to civilians. The lighthouse was permanently closed in 1939. The area is now somewhat desolate, and a sanctuary for wildlife. Pooles Island Light is one of the oldest Chesapeake Bay lighthouses still standing, and Maryland’s oldest.