When fog hides a lighthouse’s beacon, sailors need an audible signal to guide them. Consequently, a fog tower containing a bell was frequently built alongside a lighthouse. Large bells, such as the 1,100 pound bell in this tower, were used because their sound carried a long distance. Point Lookout Lighthouse and this fog bell tower stood near the treacherous crossroads where the Potomac River meets the Chesapeake Bay—a place where both weather and shipping traffic were tricky. In 1965, the Coast Guard closed Point Lookout Lighthouse and the fog bell tower. Their function was taken over by a steel tower placed offshore. The fog bell tower was then relocated to Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum with funds given in memory of Arthur Johnson Grymes, Jr. The Bell striking mechanism given in memory of Frederick Fowler by Francis Fowler and friends.
