1819 – Appropriated by act of Congress for a lighthouse on The Bodkin, & two on North Point, mouth of Patapsco River, Maryland, March 3, 1819, $9,000.

1821 - Contract for construction of the lighthouse was awarded to Thomas Evans and William Coppeck.

1838 – Bodkin light-house—Burns thirteen lamps with twelve spherical and one parabolic reflectors; the latter much the best. With this light I made the following experiment: At 8 P. M. (at one mile distant) the reflectors were removed until 9 P. M.; no difference could be perceived in the light at that distance. This light has been remarkably well kept, and noted for the brilliancy of the light.

Bodkin Point, on Bodkin Island, south side of entrance to Patapsco River and port of Baltimore, Chesapeake Bay. Fixed light. Built in 1822; refitted anew in 1845.

1850 – Bodkin Point light-house. – 13 lamps; William H. Glover, keeper; supplied June 28, 1850.
This whole of this establishment is in good order; it has been white-washed, and the shutters and doors painted. Lamps and reflectors are good.
The new bridge has been finished, and the boat repaired.
Left June 25, 1849, 501 gallons of oil. Found on hand - 15 gallons of oil. 486 gallons consumed in 368 days is equal to 482 gallons per year, or 37 1/15 gallons per lamp.
Delivered 366 gallons of spring oil, 150 gallons of winter oil, 15 gallons on hand, for a total of 531 gallons.
100 tube glasses; 34 yards cloth; 5 gross wicks; 2 box tripoli; 1 buff skin; 1 pair scissors; 1 file; 1 box soap; 7 burners, complete; 13 outside burners. 2 spare lamps, in good order, long burners, 18-inch reflectors.

1851 – BODKIN POINT LIGHT-HOUSE.
Mouth of Patapsco; bay and river light.
William H. Glover, keeper, appointed March 28,1849; relieved the widow Tatem; was a blacksmith and boiler-maker by trade; had no knowledge or instruction previous to taking charge; had received the usual printed-instructions only; lights up after sunset, and puts out at sunrise; gets his lamps ready for lighting before sunset.
Has no measurer to measure the oil; guesses at the quantity of oil used, by the gallon measure, the only one he has; trims only at 12 o'clock: in the winter trims at 10 and 2, or 2 1/2; has no means of ascertaining the hour of the night.
Thirteen 16-inch parabolic reflectors; lamps and reflectors in very bad order; lamps brass, burners bad ; lantern small, glass 9 x 10; no ventilators—smoke escapes through top of the lantern only; soot very thick over the dome, and the whole lantern black and dirty: filled with cleaning-rags, broken chimneys, &,c.
Oil last year very bad; this year better.
Tower built by contract; rubble-stone, like all those which have been seen, that were built in this manner; new painting pretty good; inside wood-work bad; dwelling of rubble-stone; cistern in good order; never inspected before, (keeper ;) at 11 1/2 a. m., nothing clean or ready for lighting; copper conductor; keeps a journal of weather, and expenditures of oil, (latter guessed at;) consumed last year upwards of 520 gallons, but could not show the exact quantity consumed; compelled to use the bad oil, because they do not take away bad oil.
The keeper’s son and little daughter commenced taking down the lamps and reflectors so soon as the keeper saw the collector with us.
Lamps, burners and reflectors very dirty; the burners were so full of carbonized wick and dirty oil, that it would not be possible to produce a reasonably good combustion; chimneys very much smoked, showing clearly that the light is not perfectly kept.
No trimming-scissors.

1851 – Appropriated by act of Congress for a lighthouse on Bodkin Shoal (Seven-foot Knoll), mouth of Patapsco River; when this is completed, the lighthouse on Bodkin Point to be discontinued, March 3, 1851, $17,000.

1851 – Bodkin Point or Seven-foot Knoll light-house, mouth of the Patapsco, Chesapeake bay.
Office Light-house Board, October 10, 1851.
SIR: I have the honor to submit, herewith, plans, drawings, and specifications for a light-house on “Seven-foot knoll,” in the Patapsco river, which have ben carefully prepared by the Committee on Construction of Light-houses, and examined and approved by the board.
Very respectfully, your obedient servant,
Wm. Branford Shubrick,
President Light-house Board
Hon. Thomas Corwin
Secretary of the Treasury

1855 – Keeper George McCutcheon $400

1914 – Tower collapsed due to erosion of Bodkin Island.

Keepers: John Gray (1822), Araminta Gray (1822 – 1823), Philip Marshall (at least 1831 – at least 1837), John J. Stewart (at least 1839), Edward Lucas (at least 1841), Daniel Tatham (1843 – 1844), Rossanah Tatham (1844 – 1849), William H. Glover (1849 – 1852), I.L. Webster (1852 – 1853), George McCutchen (1853 – 1855).

No light exists at this location today.

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