A traveler heading across the Chesapeake
Bay Bridge toward Annapolis, Md., can
hardly miss them — three large radio tow-
ers. Located on Greenbury Point, the towers
are a historic remnant of a piece of U.S.
naval communications history that traces
back to the first World War.

A parcel there, acquired in 1910 by the Navy, proved too small for its intended purpose — a dairy farm for the Naval Academy. Instead, food waste was hauled there from Bancroft Hall to be consumed by some 350 hogs.

In addition, the property hosted an early naval air station — the predecessor to Pensacola, Fla.

Meanwhile, the Navy had begun establishing wireless communications stations along the East Coast to support fleet operations in the Atlantic. With the advent of the American entry into World War I, the Navy took on a greater responsibility for cross-Atlantic communications and took an immediate interest in adding a new mission to the parcel that lay across the Severn River opposite the academy.

Thanks to Greenbury Point’s remoteness, yet proximity to Washington, it proved to be an ideal site for a high-power, very-low-frequency (VLF) station that would have a Navy-operated sister station in France.

Placed into service in September 1918, the Naval Radio Transmitting Station used two 500-kilowatt Poulsen arc converter VLF transmitters built by Federal Telegraph Co. of San Francisco.

Four 600-foot radio towers, a power house and transmitter house, housing quarters, Marine barracks, a wharf and a water supply system station kept the Navy’s hogs in good company.

The facility experienced modest growth in the 1920s with two towers added in 1922. During the Depression, a new antenna system and supporting infrastructure were added to support high-, medium- and low-frequency transmissions.

During World War II, the Bureau of Ships funded improvements to increase the station’s capacity to support command and control communications during the crucial Battle of the Atlantic. The Navy footprint at Greenbury Point expanded with the acquisition of adjoining property to construct five more towers and supporting facilities.

In August 1953, the facility became a component of the U.S. Naval Communications Station, Washington, which maintained two other radio stations in the region. To meet the increasing needs of the fleet, more antennas and transmission facilities were added to the complex.

In some cases, the proven technology worked fine. A VLF system installed in 1938 for submarine communications only needed upgrading in 1969.

Renamed Naval Radio Transmitter Facility in 1974, the Greenbury Point complex continued to serve the fleet as a component of the Defense Communications Agency. However, its years were numbered. Advances in satellite communications during the bicentennial year eliminated the requirement of medium- and high-frequency transmitters.

Maintaining its VLF capabilities, the facility continued to support the communication needs of the submarine force. With the improvement of satellite capabilities, the need to maintain Greenbury Point proved less critical. The facility was closed in 1994 following recommendations made in the 1991 Base Realignment and Closure report.

At the time of closure, Greenbury Point boasted 19 towers. Thanks to demolition charges, 16 of them came crashing down on Dec. 9, 1999.

Ownership of the three remaining towers was transferred to civilian government authorities for use as training facilities. n

Source: The Greenbury Point Towers is featured as object 39 in a video series compiled by the U.S. Naval Academy titled 100 Objects. See: https://www.usna.edu/100Objects/Objects/ object-39.php Dr. David F. Winkler is a historian with the Naval Historical Foundation.