# United States Statutes at Large/Volume 5/24th Congress/2nd Session/Chapter 40

Chap. XL.—An Act making appropriations for building light-houses, light-boats, beacon-lights, buoys, and dolphins, for the year one thousand eight hundred and thirty-seven.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,Appropriations to enable Sec. of Treas. to contract for building lighthouses, &c. That the following appropriations be, and the same are hereby, made and directed to be paid out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, to enable the Secretary of the Treasury to provide, by contract, for building light-houses, beacon-lights, and for other purposes hereinafter mentioned.
Maine. Mark island. Mt. Desert island. Ram island. Seguin island. West Quaddy bay.State of Maine.—For a light-house to be erected on a proper site on Mark island, in Harpswell sound, five thousand dollars; for a light-house to be erected on a proper site on Mount Desert island, at the entrance of Frenchman’s bay, five thousand dollars; for a light-house on Ram island, at the mouth of Damariscotta river, five thousand dollars; for a fog-bell, on Seguin island, at the entrance of Kennebec river, fifteen hundred dollars; for placing buoys on West Quaddy bay, and for substituting for the present fog-bell, at the entrance of said passage, a cast-steel ​triangular bell, or a bell of the usual form, but increased weight, one thousand five hundred dollars; for a light-house to be erected on a proper site at Spoon isle,Spoon isle. Saddleback ledge. Eagle island point. Pleasant river. Ft Point ledge, Adams’s and Buck’s ledges. Half-tide ledge. Town of Sullivan. York nubble. Portersfield’s ledge. New Hampshire. Whaleback light-house. Sunken rocks. Cod rock. Massachusetts. Ipswich harbor. Ned’s point. Nanset beach. Harbors of Lynn, &c. Aldridge ledge, &c. in Penobscot bay, five thousand dollars; for a light-house to be erected, on Saddleback ledge, in Penobscot bay, five thousand dollars; for a light-house to be erected, on Eagle Island point, in Penobscot bay, five thousand dollars; for a light-house to be erected at the mouth of Pleasant river, five thousand dollars; for placing monuments on Fort Point ledge, Adams’s ledge, and Buck’s ledge, in Penobscot river, three thousand dollars; for erecting a beacon light on Half-tide ledge, and two buoys about a mile and a half from the town of Sullivan, in the county of Hancock, three thousand dollars; for the erection of a light-house on York nubble, in the county of York, five thousand dollars; for a monument on Portersfield ledge, lying between Owlshead and Goose River point, and a spindle on another ledge lying near the Portersfield ledge, two thousand six hundred dollars.
State of New Hampshire.—For the erection of a pier on the east side of Whaleback light-house, to secure it from the force of the waves, three thousand dollars; for placing buoys at the entrance of Spruce creek, on the eastern edge of “Sunken rocks,” and at the east side of Amazeen island, five hundred dollars; for placing buoys on “Cod rock,” near Fort point, four hundred dollars.
State of Massachusetts.—For two small light-houses, should two be necessary, on proper sites, at or near Ipswich harbor, seven thousand dollars; for a light-house to be erected on a proper site at or near Ned’s point, contiguous to the village of Mattapoisett, five thousand dollars; for three small light-houses on Nanset beach, Cape Cod, fifteen feet high, ten thousand dollars; for the erection of buoys upon the rocks and ledges at the entrance of the harbors of Lynn, Salem, Beverly, Marblehead, and Manchesterq, two thousand five hundred dollars; for placing buoys on Aldridge ledge, False spit, Hunt’s ledge, Hospital Island ledge, Sculpion ledge, Governor’s Island point, and Little Farm bar, in Boston harbor, five hundred dollars; for erecting a beacon at the mouth of New Bedford harbor, two thousand dollars; for two small beacon lights near the entrance of Nantucket harbor, five hundred dollars. For placing a spindle in the harbor of Edgartown, and buoys, two hundred dollars;Wing’s neck, &c. Bay rock. for erecting a light-house at Wing’s neck, five thousand dollars: for buoys in the harbor of Mattapoisett, one hundred dollars; for buoys on Bay rock, the ledge on the shoal on the west side of Taunton river, opposite Fall River, six hundred dollars; for buoys at a place called Egypt, in Taunton river, one hundred dollars; for a beacon on Muscle bed, and a beacon on Oyster bed point, in Mount Hope bay, five thousand dollars; for a light-house on Mayo beach, in Wellfleet bay, one thousand dollars; for a buoy at Deep-hole Rock, near Oyster island, on the south side of Barnstable, three hundred dollars.
Connecticut. Lynde point. Black Boy reef, &c.State of Connecticut.—For rebuilding a light-house on a proper site, on Lynde point, at the mouth of Connecticut river, five thousand dollars; for placing buoys on Black Boy reef, Barney’s reef, Stony Point reef, and Wheeler’s rock in the harbor of Killingworth, three hundred dollars; for a beacon already commenced on Round island, on Saybrook bar, fifteen hundred dollars; nine hundred dollars to meet the expenses of the work as far as executed, the balance to complete and secure the same; for placing buoys on the rocks in the harbor of Greenwich, three hundred dollars; for placing buoys in Mystic harbor, one hundred dollars; for a sea-wall to preserve the light-house and other buildings, in Fairweather island, near Black Rock harbor, five thousand dollars.
Rhode Island. Papoose Squaw Point, &c.State of Rhode Island.―For a light-house on Papoose Squaw point, a place near to, but below, the port of Bristol, five thousand dollars; for placing a buoy and beacon on South White rock, and a buoy on Charles rock, near the harbor of Wickford, one hundred dollars; for ​Block island. Field’s point.rebuilding and changing the location of the light on Block island, five thousand dollars; for eight dolphins and two buoys, northward of Field’s point, in Providence river, one thousand dollars.
New York. Cumberland head. Split rock. Execution rocks. Big Sandy creek. Stony point. Gedney’s Channel, &c. Romer’s Shoal. Esopus Meadows. Tappan Bay. Cedar island. Sag Harbor. Roundout creek. Dunkirk harbor. Van Buren harbor. Middle Ground. Robin’s reef. Salmon River harbor.State of New York.—For a light-house on a proper site on Cumberland head, Lake Champlain, five thousand dollars; for the erection of a light-house on a proper site at Split rock point, Lake Champlain, five thousand dollars; for a revolving, or double light upon the south side of Execution rocks, opposite Sand’s point, in Long Island sound, five thousand dollars; for a light-house at Big Sandy creek, on Lake Ontario, county of Jefferson, five thousand dollars; for a light-house on Stony point, in the town of Henderson, in the county of Jefferson, three thousand dollars; for buoying out Gedney’s channel, three thousand dollars; for a beacon-light at Silver Creek harbor, on Lake Erie, four thousand five hundred dollars; for a light-house on Flynn’s Knoll, near Sandy Hook, two hundred thousand dollars; to be built under the direction of the Engineer Department; for a light-boat off Sandy Hook, twenty-five thousand dollars; for placing a beacon on Romer’s shoal, near Sandy Hook, fifteen thousand dollars; for the erection of a light-house at Esopus meadows, on the west shore of the Hudson river, three thousand dollars; for placing a buoy on the wreck of a vessel sunk at Tappan bay, one hundred dollars; for a light-house on Cedar island, Sag harbor, one thousand dollars; for placing buoys in Sag harbor, two hundred dollars; for erecting a light-house at Roundout creek, on the Hudson river, five thousand dollars; for erecting a beacon-light at Dunkirk harbor, two thousand seven hundred dollars; for erecting a beacon-light at Van Buren harbor, two thousand seven hundred dollars; for a floating-light, to be stationed on or near the Middle Ground, so called, in Long Island Sound, nearly abreast Straitford point, ten thousand dollars; for a light-house on Robin’s reef, in the harbor of New York, fifty thousand dollars; for a light-house at Salmon River harbor, three thousand dollars.
New Jersey. Cohansey creek. Egg Island. Absecum inlet.State of New Jersey.—For a light-house at the mouth of Cohansey creek, five thousand dollars; for the erection of a light-house at or near Egg island, near the entrance of Maurice river, five thousand dollars; for erecting a light-house near Absecum inlet, on the sea-coast, in the State of New Jersey, to be so constructed as to be distinguished from other light on the coast, five thousand dollars.
Pennsylvania. Erie harbor.State of Pennsylvania.—For completing the beacon-light at the end of the pier which forms the entrance into the harbor of Erie, on Lake Erie, six hundred and seventy-four dollars.
Delaware. Ready island. Brandywine shoal.State of Delaware.—For a light-house on the lower or southern end of Ready island, in the Delaware bay, ten thousand dollars; for the erection of a light-house on the Brandywine shoal, in the Delaware bay, in addition to the sum already appropriated, fifteen thousand dollars, agreeably to the plan and estimate made by Hartman Bache, of the engineer corps; for mooring buoys in the harbor of the Delaware breakwater, two thousand dollars.
Maryland. Nanticoke, &c.State of Maryland.—For a light-house on a proper site on Sharp’s island, in the Chesapeake bay, five thousand dollars; for placing buoys on the rivers Nanticoke, Manokin, Annamessex, Pocamoke, and Wicomico, Hooper’s and Cajey’s straits, and Tangier and Pocamoke sounds, the sum of two thousand five hundred dollars, in addition to a former appropriation;Love point, &c. for erecting a light-house on Love Point, in addition to the sum heretofore appropriated, one thousand dollars.
Virginia. Hog island. York river. Old Point. Chesapeake. Day’s point, &c. Chesapeake bay. Potomac creek.State of Virginia.—For the erection of a light-house on the south end of Hog island, on the Atlantic coast, five thousand dollars; for a light-boat on York River spit, or a light-house, ten thousand dollars. For removing the light-house at Old Point Comfort into Fortress Monroe, six thousand dollars; for a light-house in the Chesapeake, eight ​thousand dollars; for a light-house at Day’s point, on James river, five thousand dollars; for a light-boat, or light-house, in the Potomac river between Mathias point, in Virginia, and Maryland point, in the State of Maryland; Provided, On inquiry, the Secretary of the Treasury shall deem such light necessary to the safe and uninterrupted navigation of that section of the river Potomac, ten thousand dollars; for a new light-boat in the Chesapeake bay, eight thousand dollars; for a light-house at the mouth of Potomac creek, five thousand dollars.
N. Carolina. Powell’s point, &c.State of North Carolina.—For a light-house off Powell’s point, Albermarle sound, five thousand dollars; for rebuilding a light-house at Federal point, five thousand dollars; for a light-house on Pea island, near New inlet, five thousand dollars; for building a new light-boat at Long shoal, in Pamlico sound, ten thousand dollars.
S. Carolina. St. Helena and Port Royal. Charleston harbor.State of South Carolina.—For light-houses or light-boats in the inlets of Saint Helena and Port Royal, twenty thousand dollars; for the construction of five beacon-lights in Charleston harbor, six thousand dollars, in addition to the appropriation of the last session; the location of said lights to be changed, if deemed expedient by the Secretary of the Treasury.
Georgia. Little Cumberland island, &c.State of Georgia.—For a light-house on the north end of Little Cumberland island, eight thousand dollars; for the erection of a light-house on the north end of Jekyl island, eight thousand dollars. For the placing of buoys, and beacons, to render the entrance to the harbor of Brunswick secure and easy at all times, ten thousand dollars. For a light-house on Sapaelo island and for placing buoys and beacons at Doboy bar, and Sapaelo bar, for the purpose of rendering safe and secure an entrance at all times to the city of Darien, five thousand dollars; for a floating light to be anchored within Martin’s Industry, ten thousand dollars.
Alabama. Mobile harbor. Sand island. Ohio. Turtle island, &c.State of Alabama.—For placing buoys in the harbor of Mobile, six hundred dollars; for the erection of a light-house on Sand island, opposite Mobile point, ten thousand dollars.
State of Ohio.—For a light-house on Turtle island, at the entrance of Maumee bay, in Lake Erie, eight thousand dollars; for a beacon-light on a proper site near the entrance of the harbor of Sandusky bay, two thousand five hundred dollars; for a beacon-light at or near Manhattan, three thousand dollars; for additional buoys to mark the channel at the mouth of the Miami of Lake Erie, and across Maumee bay, two hundred dollars; for a light-house on the south side of Cunningham island, in Lake Erie, three thousand dollars.
Indiana. City West harbor, &c.State of Indiana.—For a lighthouse at City West harbor, five thousand dollars; to complete the light-house at Michigan City, three thousand dollars.
Louisiana. Vermillion bay. Lake Pontchartrain, &c.State of Louisiana.—For a beacon-light at or near the southwest pass of Vermillion bay, five thousand dollars; for erecting a light-house at the pass between Lake Pontchartrain and Lake Maurepas, six thousand dollars; for erecting a light-house, and a house for the keeper, on Saint Joseph’s island, in Lake Borgne, twelve thousand dollars; for placing two buoys at Dauphin Island pass, two buoys at Pass Marianne, two buoys at Pass Christian, and two buoys at Heron pass, fifteen hundred dollars; for beacons and light-houses at the entrance of the harbor recently constructed on Lake Pontchartrain, at the canal above New Orleans, twenty-five thousand dollars; for erecting a light-house on Lake Pontchartrain, at the mouth of the Bayou Saint John, ten thousand dollars; for beacons and light-houses at Port Pontchartrain, in addition to the sum heretofore appropriated, twenty thousand dollars.
Michigan.State of Michigan.—For a light-house on a proper site at the mouth of Grand river, five thousand dollars; for a light-house at a proper site at the mouth of Detroit river, five thousand dollars; for a light-house on Windmill island, at the outlet of Lake St. Clair, five thousand dollars; for erecting a light-house at the mouth of Saginaw river,Saginaw river. Wagooshance, or Fox Point. Kalamazoo river. five thousand dollars; for erecting a light-house at Wagooshance, or Fox point, on the Straits of Michilimackinac, five thousand dollars; for erecting a light-house at the mouth of Kalamazoo river, five thousand dollars.
Florida. Appalachicola bay. St. Joseph’s bay. St. John’s river. Appalachicola bay. Key West. Key West. Amelia island. Mosquito inlet. Key West. Sand Key. Cape Florida. Carryforce reef. Wisconsin. Milwaukee river. Manitowac river. Chipewagan. Green bay. Root river. Before any of the improvements are commenced, the Board of Navy Commissioners to cause an examination to be made, &c., and report to the Secretary of the Treasury.Territory of Florida.—For a light-house on the most suitable site at or near the east entrance from the Gulf of Mexico into Appalachicola bay, to be selected by the Secretary of the Treasury, ten thousand dollars; for a light-house at the entrance of St. Joseph’s bay, ten thousand dollars; for three buoys at the mouth of Saint John’s river, one thousand dollars; for buoys to mark the channel from the eastern pass into Appalachicola bay to the town of Appalachicola, one thousand dollars; for a light-boat to be stationed at the northwest passage, twelve miles from Key West, ten thousand dollars; for buoys at the northwest passage and harbor of Key West, eight hundred dollars; for a light-house on the north point of Amelia island, eight thousand dollars; for rebuilding and changing the location of the light-house at Mosquito inlet, seven thousand dollars; for placing buoys on a rock in the outer harbor of Key West, five hundred dollars; for securing the foundation of the light-house on Sand Key, and for the attendance of a boat procured by the lake keeper, one thousand six hundred and twenty dollars; for rebuilding the light-house at Cape Florida, ten thousand dollars; for a light-house on Carryforce reef on the southeastern extremity of the coast of Florida, twenty thousand dollars.
Territory of Wisconsin.―For erecting a light-house at the mouth of Milwaukee river, five thousand dollars; for erecting a light-house at the mouth of the Manitowac river, five thousand dollars; for a light-house at Chipewagan, five thousand dollars; for erecting a light-house at the entrance of Green bay, five thousand dollars; for erecting a light-house at Root river, five thousand dollars.
Sec. 2. And be it further enacted, That before any of the improvements aforesaid are commenced, the Board of Navy Commissioners shall cause an examination to be made for the purpose of ascertaining whether the safety of navigation requires any additional facilities, and if so what is most suitable for each place needing such additional facilities, and thereupon to report their opinion in regard to all such places as speedily as may be to the Secretary of the Treasury, who shall proceed with the works so recommended. But if the said board, after causing such examination to be made, shall be of opinion that any of said improvements are not needed to facilitate the navigation, or that the navigation is so inconsiderable as not to justify the proposed works, or that the same are inexpedient from any cause, no further proceeding shall be had, and their opinions with the facts shall be reported to Congress.
Secretary of the Treasury to adopt the improvement in lamps, &c., invented by Isaac Dunham, on certain conditions. Proviso.Sec. 3. And be it further enacted, That the Secretary of the Treasury be, and he is hereby, authorized to adopt the improvements in lamps and lanterns of light-houses, and the mode of warming the same, invented by Isaac Dunham, if, in his opinion, after due examination, and trial thereof, (if necessary,) said improvements shall be deemed of utility in respect to the saving of expense, in repairs and support, or in respect to improving the lights: Provided, the right to adopt said improvements in the light-houses and light-boats of the United States can be obtained on terms which the Secretary shall deem reasonable.
Approved, March 3, 1837.