New Point Comfort facts for kids
New Point Comfort is a special piece of land in Mathews County, Virginia. It's at the very end of Virginia's Middle Peninsula, right where it meets the big Chesapeake Bay in the United States. This area is home to a protected nature spot called the New Point Comfort Natural Area Preserve. You can also find the historic New Point Comfort Lighthouse here.
Where is New Point Comfort Located?
Today, the very tip of New Point Comfort is on its own island. This island is separate from the main land of Mathews County. It's located south of a small town called Bavon. This spot is also at the entrance of Mobjack Bay.
New Point Comfort is about 21 miles (34 kilometers) north of another famous spot. That spot is Old Point Comfort in Hampton, Virginia. The land area north of the island, between Peppers Creek and Horn Harbor, is also known as New Point Comfort. This whole area is a peninsula, which is land surrounded by water on three sides.
The Story of New Point Comfort
A famous English explorer named John Smith sailed past New Point Comfort in 1608. He was returning to Jamestown after exploring the northern Chesapeake Bay.
The New Point Comfort Lighthouse was built between 1802 and 1805. By 1852, the sea had started to cut off the lighthouse from the mainland. It slowly became a new island.
In 1904, a company called the New Point Comfort Development Company was formed. They wanted to build a resort on the peninsula. Their plan was to reclaim the marshland that separated the lighthouse from the mainland. They also wanted to build new beaches. However, this project was too expensive. The company ran out of money and went out of business.
In 1933, two powerful storms hit the area. These were the Chesapeake Potomac Hurricane and the Outer Banks Hurricane. These hurricanes completely separated the lighthouse from the mainland. Now, the lighthouse stands about 1.5 miles (2.4 kilometers) from shore. It is on a small island made of riprap, which are large rocks used to protect the land.
