Point Lookout State Park & Lighthouse — Haunted & Secret History in Washington, D.C.

Entry No. 34 — the Washington, D.C. file — filed under: Civil War POW camp

Point Lookout State Park & Lighthouse

Union guards, including U.S. Colored Troops regiments made up partly of formerly enslaved men, ran a Civil War prison camp on this narrow spit; more than 50,000 Confederate captives passed through it over the war (peak population around 20,000) and roughly 3,000-4,000 died of disease and exposure where the Potomac meets the Chesapeake.

The move: Climb the cupola of the 1830 lighthouse, the oldest surviving 'integral' lighthouse in the U.S. (keeper's quarters built into the tower), freshly reopened after a 2025 renovation, then walk the point where the mass POW camp once stood.

Where: 11175 Point Lookout Road, Scotland, MD 20687

Hours: Added 2026-07-19 — confirm current hours before you go.

⚠ Seasonal or scheduled — always check before you go.

#Civil War POW camp #lighthouse #mass death site #state park

Plan a visit & invite your people →

Further reading: dnr.maryland.gov · Wikipedia

last checked: 2026-07-19