Chesapeake Chapter of the U.S. Lighthouse Society

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Chesapeake Chapter of the U.S. Lighthouse Society

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The Chesapeake Chapter focuses on implementing the U.S.

The Chesapeake Chapter implements programs and projects that serve to perpetuate the history of Lighthouses, Lighthouse Keepers, Lightships and Lightship crew that served or are serving in the Chesapeake Bay core area. Lighthouse Society's goals in the Chesapeake Bay area, particularly with regard to the lighthouses and lightships of Virginia and Maryland. Our volunteers perform the restoration and preservation of the Thomas Point Shoal Lighthouse and other Chesapeake area lighthouses and lightships,

11/02/2026

11/01/2026

If you visit this beautiful replica off-season, you can still get a Passport Stamp - with SASE and donation sent to: Choptank River Lighthouse, PO Box 1235, Cambridge, MD 21613.

And just like that, the 2026 season has come to an end. Now it’s your turn: how will you be a light shining brightly in our community?

10/31/2026

Happy Halloween from all the volunteers at the Thomas Pt Shoal LH and Chesapeake Chapter! Be safe out there!

10/31/2026

Have a happy and safe Halloween!

10/30/2026

MHT is currentlyaccepting applications for a second round of the Maritime Heritage Grant Program, supporting projects that preserve and share Maryland's maritime heritage. The deadline is on November 13 at 11:59 pm.

Learn more and apply here: t.ly/130Ra.

10/30/2026

Sandy Point Shoal Lighthouse was first lit on October 30th, 1883. Equipped with a fifth-order Fresnel lens, the station exhibited a fixed white light with a flash every 90 seconds. The caisson and tower were painted red.
According to the Annual report of the Light-House Board, the construction of the Caisson-style structure was begun on August 11th, 1883. It took about 1,000 cubic yards of concrete to fill the lower two sections of the caisson.
In response to an August 31st, 1883, letter from Orville E. Babcock, engineer with the Fifth Lighthouse District, it was decided to use brick for the quarters and tower, instead of iron. The tower was completed on October 9th, the lantern was installed by 11th, and the lighthouse was completed on October 18th, and ‘…was ready for the exhibition of the light’ but was not lit until the 30th to allow for the publishing of the Notice to Mariners.
Learn more about the Sandy Point Shoal Lighthouse at: https://cheslights.org/sandy-point-shoal-lighthouse/

10/28/2026

North Carolina Lighthouse Challenge Surpasses 1,000 Registrants, Celebrates 40+ Finishers, and Extends by Three Months

An America 250th Celebration invitation to explore North Carolina’s lighthouses has been an opportunity for many to discover the beacons that safeguarded the nation’s mariners and helped shape the commerce, culture, and communities of a growing nation.

The 2026 North Carolina Lighthouse Challenge has passed 1,000 registrations with 40+ participants from 7 states completing visits to all ten lighthouses! And there's more good news. The September nor’easter blew enough folks off course that organizers have extended the Challenge through March 31, 2027, giving participants three additional months to finish their journeys and still claim the prize

Registration is free, and complete information is available at:
https://www.eventcreate.com/e/nc-lighthouse-visit

10/27/2026

This story of a haunting didn’t take place on a lighthouse, but the events so affected the First-Assistant Keeper, Augustine F. Hudgins, that he was unable to continue his duties. In December 1882, Mr. Hudgins resigned his position at the Wolf Trap Lighthouse.
According to an article in the Baltimore Sun, Hudgins had previously written to the District Inspector, Robley Evans, informing him ‘…that his family, living on shore opposite the light-house, had been disturbed by mysterious noises.’ At that time Hudgins was given leave ‘…to investigate the matter’, but ‘…the “ghost” was so unruly that the keeper had to resign.’
Hudgins reported …’that knocks and other noises were heard all over the house.’ In addition, ‘…a young lady, lying in bed, received a slap in the face…the blow had left the print of a ghostly hand on the lady’s cheek.’
While this haunting didn’t occur on the lighthouse itself, and the screw pile light Hudgins manned is long gone, swept down the Bay by ice in 1893, the events did occur near-by. So, you can’t help but wonder if, one dark, quiet, night the folks from Project Lighthouse, after a long day of preservation work, might hear strange ‘knocks and other noises’ coming across the water from the shore of Matthews County! After all, sound travels on water and as reported, ‘…watch parties have nightly tried to discover the cause of the visitations, but have failed.’
Learn more about the history of the Wolf Trap lighthouse at: https://cheslights.org/wolf-trap/

Address

P. O. Box 178
Joppa, MD
21085

Website

https://cheslights.org/

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