New Point Comfort Light facts for kids
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| New Point Comfort Light, Virginia (NPS) | |
 New Point Comfort Light
Location in Virginia
New Point Comfort Light
Location in the United States
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| Location | New Point Comfort at the entrance to MobJack Bay in the Chesapeake Bay |
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| Coordinates | 37°18′02″N 76°16′39″W / 37.3006°N 76.2775°W |
| Year first constructed | 1805 |
| Year first lit | 1806 |
| Automated | 1930 |
| Deactivated | 1963-1999 |
| Construction | sandstone masonry |
| Tower shape | Octagonal tower |
| Height | 58 feet (18 m) |
| Original lens | fourth-order Fresnel lens |
| Current lens | 9.8 inches (250 mm) API |
| Range | 13 miles (21 km) |
| Characteristic | Fixed white |
The New Point Comfort Light is an old lighthouse located in Virginia, United States. It stands off the tip of the Middle Peninsula in the Chesapeake Bay. This lighthouse was finished in 1804. It is the third-oldest lighthouse still standing in the bay. It is also the tenth-oldest lighthouse in the entire United States.
Contents
History of the Lighthouse
Building the Lighthouse
After the United States government was formed, it decided to build lighthouses in the Chesapeake Bay. New Point Comfort was one of four places chosen for a new lighthouse. In 1801, money was set aside to build it. Another lighthouse was planned for Smith Point at the same time.
Both of these lighthouses were built by a man named Elzy Burroughs. He also built the lighthouse at Old Point Comfort. The New Point Comfort Light looks very similar to the Old Point Comfort Light. It's important to remember that Old Point Comfort and New Point Comfort are two different places.
At that time, New Point Comfort was a small island. A narrow waterway called Deep Creek separated it from the mainland. Mr. Burroughs bought the whole island to make sure the government could get the land it needed for the lighthouse. He even became the lighthouse keeper for ten years.
Challenges and Changes Over Time
During the War of 1812, British forces attacked the lighthouse. They destroyed the top part where the light was, and also the keeper's house. Mr. Burroughs was asked to rebuild the house. He also tried to protect the lighthouse from the ocean. He built a ditch around the tower using piles and debris to stop the land from washing away.
The lighthouse light was turned off again during the American Civil War. However, the damage this time was not as bad. By then, a special Fresnel lens had been put in the lighthouse. This type of lens makes the light much brighter.
In 1919, the light was updated to use acetylene gas. Then, in 1930, it became fully automated. This meant that no one needed to live there to keep the light working. The keeper's house was taken down, and people only visited the lighthouse sometimes to check on it.
Fighting Erosion and Deactivation
Erosion, which is when land slowly washes away, was always a big problem for the lighthouse. By 1839, the water had risen so much that people needed a boat to reach the lighthouse.
In 1933, a very strong storm called the Chesapeake-Potomac Hurricane hit the area. This hurricane completely cut through the island. It left the lighthouse standing alone on a tiny piece of land, surrounded by water. Also, sand built up to the south of the lighthouse. This made it less useful for guiding ships. Because of these problems, the lighthouse was replaced by a different marker in 1963 and turned off.
Preservation and Reactivation
The New Point Comfort Light was one of the first lighthouses to be saved by conservation efforts. In 1975, it was given to Mathews County. This happened three years after it was added to the National Register of Historic Places.
The lighthouse was repaired in 1989 and turned back on in 1999. In 2001, a special group was formed by the county. Their job was to make sure the lighthouse would be protected for the future. In 2012, money was given to build a bigger rock wall to protect the lighthouse from the water. In 2016, more money was used to fix the walkway that leads to the lighthouse, which had been damaged by storms.
Today, the tower still stands in the water. You can see it from a walkway built at the southern tip of Mathews County.
Images for kids
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An old photograph from the US Coast Guard showing the keeper's house.
