The Choptank River Light was a

screw-pile lighthouse A screw-pile lighthouse is a lighthouse which stands on piles that are screwed into sandy or muddy sea or river bottoms. The first screw-pile lighthouse to begin construction was built by the blind Irish engineer Alexander Mitchell. Construction ...

located near

Oxford, Maryland Oxford is a waterfront town and former colonial port in Talbot County, Maryland, United States. The population was 651 at the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census. History Oxford is one of the oldest towns in Maryland. While Oxford officially ma ...

. In its second incarnation it was the only such light moved from another location in the

Chesapeake Bay The Chesapeake Bay ( ) is the largest estuary in the United States. The Bay is located in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region and is primarily separated from the Atlantic Ocean by the Delmarva Peninsula (including the parts: the ...

History

The first light at this location was built in 1871 by Francis A. Gibbons, replacing a lightship which was stationed there the previous year. A ten pile arrangement similar to that of the

York Spit Light The York Spit Light was a lighthouse located at the mouth of the York River (Virginia), York River in the Chesapeake Bay, marking a long shoal paralleling the main channel into the river. History This light replaced Lightvessel, lightships stat ...

in Virginia was used. Initially equipped with a sixth-order

Fresnel lens A Fresnel lens ( ; ; or ) is a type of composite compact lens developed by the French physicist Augustin-Jean Fresnel (1788–1827) for use in lighthouses. It has been called "the invention that saved a million ships." The design allows the c ...

, it was upgraded to a fifth order lens in 1881 after ice piled up around the foundation and disturbed some of the outer piles, tilting the house slightly. A second ice flow in 1918 piled up , knocking the house from the piles and destroying it. Although consideration was given to using a caisson structure, it was decided instead to reuse the house from the

Cherrystone Bar Light The Cherrystone Bar Light was a lighthouse located at the entrance to Cape Charles, Virginia harbor in the Chesapeake Bay. It was the only light in the bay moved to another location, becoming the Choptank River Light in 1921. History This light ...

, which had been deactivated in 1919. This was moved by barge and placed on a new six pile foundation in 1921, making the new light the only working lighthouse to be moved from one location to another in the bay. This light lasted until 1964, when the house was dismantled as part of the general program of eliminating such lights; a skeleton tower on the old piles replaced it. A replica of the second Choptank River Lighthouse was built on the waterfront in

Cambridge, Maryland Cambridge is a city in Dorchester County, Maryland, United States. The population was 13,096 at the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Dorchester County and the county's largest municipality. Cambridge is the fourth most populous city in Maryl ...

and is open for tours. It wa
dedicated September 22, 2012

References

*

from the Chesapeake Chapter of the

United States Lighthouse Society The United States Lighthouse Society is a non-profit organization dedicated to aiding in the restoration of American lighthouses and educating the public about their history. With four chapters, and more than a dozen affiliates, it is one of the ...

External links

Choptank River Lighthouse
- replica project * {{authority control Lighthouses in Maryland Lighthouses completed in 1871 Lighthouses completed in 1921 Transportation buildings and structures in Talbot County, Maryland Lighthouses in the Chesapeake Bay Museums in Dorchester County, Maryland Lighthouse museums in Maryland Cambridge, Maryland Buildings and structures completed in 2012 Museums established in 2012 1871 establishments in Maryland 1964 disestablishments in Maryland 2012 establishments in Maryland Buildings and structures demolished in 1964