Lighthouse Replica Set to Shine in Cambridge
[By Breyana Franklin]
A team of passionate volunteers has turned what started out as a simple idea into a concrete reality.
Digital rendering of what the Choptank Lighthouse will look like upon completion.
Lighthouse lovers, residents and other supporters are working to build a replica of the Choptank River Lighthouse, located 21 steps from Pier A at the Cambridge marina. Constructed using existing plans gathered from the National Archives, the new structure will be visible from the Choptank River Bridge and the nearby city.
Resembling a small hexagon-shaped cottage supported by large iron legs growing out of the river, the original beacon was a familiar and beloved sight for sailors in the Chesapeake region. Erected in 1871, the lighthouse was often passed by steamboats sailing from Baltimore and stopping for produce, passengers and delectable seafood. It was destroyed by an ice floe almost 50 years later and replaced by a spare lighthouse found in Cape Charles, Va. The structure was removed in 1964 as part of the U.S. Coast Guard modernization program.
To pay for the lighthouse replica, volunteers have raised close to $600,000, only 10 percent short of their final goal. During a Lighthouse Launch Ceremony in late August, nearly 100 people gathered to look on as contractors began the process of driving seven, 70-foot long screwpiles into the Choptank River.
After completion – possibly as early as summer 2012 – the structure will be gifted to the City of Cambridge and used as the City Dockmaster’s Office, a Boaters’ Welcome/Information Center and a lighthouse museum. The museum will educate visitors about the area’s maritime heritage of boat-building, sailing, crabbing and catching oysters and other seafood. The welcome center will offer insight into local businesses and attractions, with opportunities to learn about one of the oldest colonial cities in the state.
It is estimated that the lighthouse could draw 20,000 to 30,000 visitors a year.
For information about contributing to the construction of the Choptank River Lighthouse Replica, visit the Choptank River Lighthouse Society website.
