Lighthouses of Mobjack Bay and Vicinity

Courtesy of the United States Coast Guard, we've shown below a collection of public domain images and information about lighthouses of Mobjack Bay, the York River and vicinity.  Full size images and resources to research the history of these and other lighthouses is available on the Coast Guard website at http://www.uscg.mil/hq/g-cp/history/collect.html

	NEW POINT COMFORT LIGHT Lighthouse Name: New Point Comfort Location: near northern entrance to Mobjack Bay on Virginia’s western shore Date Built: 1804 Type of Structure: octagonal sandstone tower with separate frame dwelling Height: 58 ft. Characteristics: fixed white light Lens: Original lens –octagon cylinder with multiple lamps. Fourth order Fresnel Appropriation: $8,500 Automated: 1930 Range: 13 miles Status: No longer active Historical information: New Point Comfort is the third oldest lighthouse built on the Chesapeake Bay. President Thomas Jefferson appointed Elzie Burroughs, who built the lighthouse, as its first keeper. In 1855 a fixed fourth order Fresnel was installed. The Confederates put the lighthouse out of commission during the Civil War to disrupt Union shipping on the Chesapeake Bay. After the war extensive repairs were made and the light was relit in 1865. In 1919 the lighthouse lamps were replaced with an automated acetylene gas fixture Automated in 1930 Originally the lighthouse stood on a peninsula but a hurricane in 1933 struck and eroded away much of the land. Over time the land has eroded more and more until it stands on a small island. The keeper’s house no longer stands. In 1950 the light was electrified and the characteristic was changed to a four second flash. The tower was replaced by an offshore beacon with a 2 ½ second red flashing light in 1963 and the tower was abandoned. The lighthouse was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1972. In 1975 the light was deeded to Mathews county In 2001 a task force was formed by Mathews County in an effort to preserve the lighthouse.
	NEW POINT COMFORT LIGHT
	TUE MARSHES LIGHT Lighthouse Name: Tue Marshes Light Location: Lower Chesapeake Bay, Goodwind Island Entrance of York River. Station Established: 1875 Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1960 Operational? NO Automated? N/A Foghorn: Bell – 1 blow, 30 sec. silent, 2 blows, 30 sec. silent. Deactivated: 1960 Foundation Materials: Current steel tower uses original foundation Construction Materials: Wood and Iron Tower Shape: Square screw-pile Markings/Pattern: Square screw-pile Relationship to Other Structure: Integral Original Lens: Inspection reports note it as 6th order. Characteristic: Fixed White, Red Sector Status: No longer standing Historical Information: The Two Marshes Light was built in 1875 on the Goodwin Islands and marked the entrance of the York River. The original spelling of the name was “Too’s Marshes”. It was changed sometime in the late 1890’s. The Coast Guard dismantled the structure in 1960. They built a skeletal tower on the original foundation.
	PAGES ROCK LIGHT Lighthouse Name: Pages Rock Lighthouse Location: Off Blundering Point, York River; nearest Town/City is about 5 miles north of the town Yorktown, VA Date Built: 1893 Type of Structure: Hexagonal Cottage style dwelling on a wooden screw pile with tower on roof. Height: 41 feet Characteristics: Lens: Fourth order Fresnel lens and was automated in 1960 Foghorn: Appropriation: Status: No longer standing Historical Information: Lighthouse was assembled at the Lazaretto Depot in Maryland. Lighthouse was deactivated and removed in 1967. The lighthouse was replaced with an automated steel skeletal tower 43 feet high with a 6 second flashing light built on the original foundation.
	WOLF TRAP LIGHT Lighthouse Name: Wolf Trap Light Location: Lower Chesapeake Bay, South of Rappahannock River. Station Established: 1821 Year Original Tower Lit: 1870 Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1894 Operational? Yes Automated? Yes 1971 Deactivated: n/a Foundation Materials: Caisson Construction Materials: Brick Tower Shape: Square on octagonal building Markings/Pattern: Red on brown cylinder w/black lantern Relationship to Other Structure: Integral Original Lens: Fourth Order Historical Information: In 1821 a lightship was established on the tip of Wolf Trap Shoals. The ship remained there until Southern forces destroyed it in 1861. After the war, many lightships were replaced by screw-pile lighthouse. In the spring of 1870 building began on the Wolf Trap Shoals light. The light was first lit on October 1, 1870. In January of 1893, ice flows cut the lighthouse off its pilings and carried it 20 miles down the Bay. In 1894 a replacement caisson lighthouse was constructed. It was lit on September 20, 1894. The light was automated in 1971. It remains an active aid to navigation and is owned by the U.S. Coast Guard. Lighthouse was officially listed on the National Register of Historic Places, 2 December 2002.
	WOLF TRAP LIGHT
	YORK SPIT LIGHT Status: No longer standing