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The U.S. government paid for two lighthouses near this site before finally attaining success. The first lighthouse, built in 1825, was shoddily constructed by a novice contractor and had to be demolished and rebuilt. Its replacement, built in 1840, used an ineffective lantern, a situation worsened by its location 1.25 miles from the dangerous shoals near Thomas Point.

To maximize effectiveness, the Lighthouse Board decided to replace the lighthouse with a new one offshore, immediately over the shoals in about eight feet of water. This hexagonal structure, 35-feet in diameter, built in 1875, continues to stand guard over the point from its perch atop seven piles. By 1964, it was the last manned lighthouse on the bay, tended to by four Coast Guard members.

In the mid-1970s, the Coast Guard considered replacing the structure with a steel skeleton tower. But protests from those wishing to protect the Chesapeake Bay's heritage caused the Coast Guard to reconsider. In 1975, Thomas Point Lighthouse was declared a historic landmark. Today, it serves as the emblem of the Chesapeake Chapter of the U.S. Lighthouse Society.

The only way to see this lighthouse is by boat. It is on the west side of Chesapeake Bay, Maryland, at the entrance to South River. Annapolis is the nearest port.

Text © 1999 Terry White, Drawing © 1999 Bill Harrah