Smith Point Light is a caisson lighthouse in the

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth are ...

portion of the

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

at the mouth of the

Potomac River The Potomac River () drains the Mid-Atlantic United States, flowing from the Potomac Highlands into Chesapeake Bay. It is long,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map. Retrieved Augu ...

. It was added to the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

in 2002.

History

"Smith Point", at the mouth of the Potomac River, has been marked by a succession of lights, having been served by three towers, three

lightships Lightship may refer to: * Lightvessel, a moored ship that has light beacons mounted as navigational aids * ''The Lightship'', a 1985 American drama film directed by Jerzy Skolimowski *''The Lightship (novel)'', by Siegfried Lenz on which the film ...

, 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. Constructio ...

, and the present caisson structure. The first light, a stone tower, was erected by Elzy Burroughs on Smith Point itself in 1802. Erosion at the point was severe, and the light had to be rebuilt further inland in 1807 by Burroughs and his brother, William K. Burroughs. William had also been named the second keeper of the light in 1806. Again in 1828 the tower was rebuilt, this time by another builder. This last tower was finally abandoned in 1859, having been supplemented in the meantime by a lightship stationed off the point from 1821 onward. As was the case with many others, the first lightship was destroyed in 1861 by confederate forces in the

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government polici ...

. It was replaced in the following year by a refitted

brig A brig is a type of sailing vessel defined by its rig: two masts which are both square-rigged. Brigs originated in the second half of the 18th century and were a common type of smaller merchant vessel or warship from then until the latter part ...

which served until 1868. In that year a

was constructed off the point, in line with recommendations made some fifteen years earlier. The location is exposed, and ice damage (the bane of such lights) was inevitable. The light was first damaged by ice in 1893, and the keepers were fired for abandoning their posts. Two years later the house was stripped from the foundation and carried away. Once again a lightship was stationed off the point, this time staying on station until 1897. In that year the existing caisson light was first illuminated. The plans for

Wolf Trap Light Wolf Trap Light is a caisson lighthouse in the Virginia portion of the Chesapeake Bay, about seven and a half miles northeast of New Point Comfort Light. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. History Wolf Trap Shoal juts in ...

were reused, so that the only obvious difference between the two is that Wolf Trap is painted red, while Smith Point is white. With various changes and repairs to the fog warning apparatus, the light was manned until 1971, a late date for a Chesapeake Bay light. A long submarine cable was run to shore to power the light, with a battery backup to handle interruptions. Damage to this cable in the 1980s brought the

Coast Guard A coast guard or coastguard is a maritime security organization of a particular country. The term embraces wide range of responsibilities in different countries, from being a heavily armed military force with customs and security duties to ...

to consider discontinuing the light, but public outcry led to repairs in 1988. In 2005 Smith Point Light went up for auction under the

National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act The National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act of 2000 (NHLPA; Public Law 106-355; 16 U.S.C. 470w-7) is American legislation creating a process for the transfer of federally owned lighthouses into private hands. It was created as an extension ...

, and was purchased for $170,000 by David McNally, a builder from

Winona, Minnesota Winona is a city in and the county seat of Winona County, Minnesota, Winona County, in the U.S. state, state of Minnesota. Located in bluff country on the Mississippi River, its most noticeable physical landmark is Sugar Loaf (Winona, Minnesota ...

. The light remains in service as an active aid to navigation.Smith Point Light
from NPS Inventory of Historic Light Stations

References

*
Smith Point Light Station's National Register of Historic Places NominationSmith Point Lighthouse, Virginia
from LighthouseFriends.com *

External links

Official Website for Smith Point Light House
{{authority control Lighthouses completed in 1897 Houses completed in 1897 National Register of Historic Places in Northumberland County, Virginia Lighthouses on the National Register of Historic Places in Virginia Buildings and structures in Northumberland County, Virginia