TIMELINE:
1802 Elzy Burroughs agrees to build the lighthouse and keeper’s house for $8,750.
1804 Burroughs appointed as the lighthouse’s first keeper by President Thomas Jefferson.
1805 Lighthouse construction completed.
1812 Lighthouse occupied by the British Navy during the War of 1812.
1841 Tower fitted with a new lantern, 15 lamps and fifteen 21-foot reflectors. Modifications cost $3,500.
1852 Lighthouse inspected by newly formed Lighthouse Board. Lighthouse keeper Isaac Foster receives an annual salary of $400.
1855 Fresnel lens installed (4th order).
1860s Tower damaged by Confederate militia to obstruct northern shipping and naval activity during the Civil War.
1868 Extensive repairs to Light and to the dwelling.
1900 Rail fence and plank walkways installed.
1919 White, two-story keeper’s house torn down when light is partly automated with an automatic, acetylene light, replacing kerosene lamps. New lenses installed.
1933 Hurricane creates the channel called Deep Creek, completely separating the Lighthouse from the mainland.
1939 Lighthouse turned over to the Coast Guard by Lighthouse Board.
1950 Electricity used to power the light.
1954 Henry Dow, the last keeper, retires.
1960 Coast Guard suggests the Lighthouse be closed; protests from the local community keep light shining for three more years.
1963 Light replaced by an offshore beacon, the New Point Comfort Spit Light. Lighthouse structure still used as a day beacon.
1968 Lighthouse abandoned by the Coast Guard (discontinued maintenance).
1972 Local citizens succeed in having New Point Comfort Lighthouse put on the register of the Virginia Historic Landmarks Commission. It is designated as a state and national landmark.
1975 Lighthouse ceded by the United States to Mathews County.
1976 Mathews County Board of Supervisors establishes the New Point Lighthouse Committee.
1978 Initial repairs made through funds from private individuals, organizations, businesses and the Virginia Historic Landmarks Commission.
Study begun by the Virginia Institute of Marine Science to ascertain the long range effects of erosion around island.
1981 Major renovations undertaken through funds from the State of Virginia and private donors.
1988 Additional major renovations through funds from a federal grant, the Virginia Department of Conservation and Historic Resources and local citizens.
1999 New Point Comfort Lighthouse Lantern Committee obtains permission to install a solar-powered light and lens.
“There
is a peculiar fascination about lighthouses, those sentinels of the shallows and
shoals of our waterways.
Silently they stand by day, except when fog creeps in on wet feet,
cutting off sight and muffling sound.
Then the blasts of the night horn go out across the waves, warning ships
of the dangers at hand. By
night
a gleam of light cuts through the encircling darkness, pointing out the hazards
ahead. When rain, snow
or
fog shut down in the darkness, the sonorous sound of the horn is again heard,
and light and sound send
their
twin messages across the waters.
From
“New Point Lighthouse,” by Martin Diggs, published in Virginia Cavalcade,
Summer, 1969. Quoted by permission of the Virginia State Library.
Document from Marion Gray Trusch, Written by M. Eldred (?)
New Point Comfort Light Station – Virginia
The act of March 3, 1801, provided “That as soon as a cession shall be made by the State of Virginia to the United States, of the jurisdiction over the land proper for the purpose, the Secretary of the Treasury be, and he is hereby, authorized to provide by contract to be approved by the President of the United States, for building a lighthouse on New Point Comfort, in the state aforesaid, and to furnish the same with all necessary supplies; and also to agree for the salaries or wages of the persons who may be appointed by the President for the superintendence and care of the same, and that the President be authorized to make the said appointments.” For this purpose the sum of $5,000 was appropriated.
Under this authorization an agreement was concluded between William Miller, Jr., Commissioner of the Revenue on behalf of the United States by direction of the Secretary of the Treasury and by and with the approbation of the President of the United States, and Elzy Burroughs of Gloucester County, Virginia on February 6, 1802, for the construction before November 1, 1803, “in a workmanlike manner a Lighthouse and dwelling house with their appurtenances as particularly described in the proposals which are hereunto annexed, upon such part of Smith’s Point in the State of Virginia, as shall be designated by said William Miller, Jr., or other person duly authorized on behalf of the United States.” Mr. Burroughs agreed to “find all materials, labor and objects of cost and expense of the work described in said proposals.” In consideration whereof the United States agreed to pay Mr. Elzy Burroughs $8,750 payable as follows:
1,000 at first to provide materials etc. and “further payments as the work progresses, reserving a balance until the whole is completed and approved.”
On January 15, 1802, the Virginia General Assembly at Richmond, Virginia, had passed an act authorizing the Governor of the Commonwealth to cede to the United States the jurisdiction over certain lands on New Point Comfort and on Smith’s Point for the purpose of building lighthouses. If the lighthouses were not erected within 7 years or were “suffered to fall into decay or be rendered useless as to the purposes aforesaid, and so continue for the period of 7 years, then and in those cases, the jurisdiction over such Territory hereby directed to be vested in the United States shall revert to the Commonwealth and be subject to the jurisdiction of the same, in the like manner as if this act had never been made.”
On April 6, 1804, Elzy Burroughs conveyed to the United States two acres of land on New Point Comfort for the sum of $150, having previously agreed to do so on March 5, 1804.
On October 22, 1804, John Page, Governor of Virginia, ceded “all the jurisdiction which this Commonwealth possess over the said two acres of land in Mathews County on New Point Comfort which said two acres of land were conveyed to the said United States by the before referred to indenture from Elzy Burroughs to the said United States, “provided a lighthouse was erected within 7 years, kept in repair and supported at the expense of the United States on same, and provided that if the lighthouse was not erected within 7 years or suffered fall into decay or rendered useless for the purposes of a lighthouse “the jurisdiction over such territory hereby conveyed to the United States shall revert to said Commonwealth in the same manner as if this deed had never been made.”
Further appropriations were made by Congress of $3,500 on March 2, 1803 and $5,000 on March 14, 1804. During 1804, $7,150 was expended on the structure, $1,044 in 1805, $306 in 1806 and $177.20 in 1809 (separately appropriated in that year). The structure was a 58 foot white stone tower.
On April 17, 1816, Congress appropriated $7,000 for rebuilding New Point Comfort Light Station, but there is no record that this sum had been expended for the purpose by 1818.
The light is situated on the north side of the entrance to Mobjack Bay and on the west side of the Chesapeake Bay, Virginia.
“Bay light; serving also for York River.
Isaac Foster, principal and only keeper; retired sea-captain (has five sons at sea). Appointed January, 1847; has a Negro woman of his own to assist him in keeping the light.
Salary $400, and no allowance for an assistant; desires an allowance for wood; is on an island. Tower of sand stone; ashlar outside, rubble inside; whitewashed inside and out; present condition good; leaks a little above, but stopped with putty; loose stone about foundation.
Visited by collector for inspection. Mr. Howland daily expected to deliver supplies.
Lantern six feet in the clear; fixed light; lamps, burners, and tubeglasses, as usual, common; 6/7 of the horizon below, 4/7 above the horizon, illuminated.
Reflectors scratched; want silvering as well as cleaning; two extra lamps, which keeper thinks not enough, as they give out and are not always well repaired; tube-glasses indifferent.
Tower too low from last floor to platform; fifty feet from platform to sill of door; glass 24 x 16 inches. Interior of dome painted white; no curtains. Ventilators as usual; trap-door closed; moderately clean. Tower painted and whitewashed; reported in good condition; wants locks and catches; oil in cellar of house.
Dwelling is a frame-house, painted white. Oil does not freeze in cellar, but gets thick in winter. Foundation of building good.
Receives supplies once a year.
Burners, as usual, ¾ inch; hot tipped with silver; burners get out of order often.
Lights up at dark and puts out at daylight; turned down in putting out; keeper thinks there is not use in lighting at sunset! lights up in a few minutes.
Trims at 11 or 12 in summer; in winter at 10 and 2 o’clock. No watch kept, but always wakes at the right time.
Has the usual printed instructions; keeper says the light is not considered bad in the bay; keeper thinks curtains of no use! There are none.”
In 1855 the fixed 4th order light was refitted. In that year a report of the Light House Board states: ”The illuminating apparatus is in a very bad condition, being old and almost worn out. The repairs needed to the dwelling will be made on the first opportunity. The light should illuminate the whole horizon.”
By 1856 new illuminating apparatus had been placed in the tower.
An 1865 report indicated that the station required extensive repairs involving much time and expense. A new lens had been provided and the light re-established.
An 1868 report showed that repairs that had been made to window frames and sashes all woodwork and lantern painted inside and out (two coats); roof of the dwelling re-shingled and new rain-water gutters supplied; doors, locks and hinges repaired; porches and inside of dwelling painted (two coats); new pump cistern provided; house, tower and fences white-washed and the latter rebuilt; new glass set in windows.
In 1869 the illuminating apparatus had been repaired, the water conductors needed repairing and the “keeper’s dwelling should have a lightning conductor.”
In 1882 a new back porch was added to the dwelling and the front steps and porch were repaired. A new floor was laid in the back building and provided with a trap door, and the whole station thoroughly painted.
The station was again thoroughly repaired in 1896.
In 1900 some 184 feet of rail fence was put up and about 18 feet of plank walk, 3 feet wide and 32 feet of walk 3 feet wide were laid, as well as various repairs being made.
A report of April 1, 1930, showed that the “usefulness of the property has not diminished. Appears to be no likelihood of it soon doing so.” On that date the land was appraised as worth $200, and the improvements $3,300. The station was at that time equipped with an automatic light. The light station was still in operation on January 1, 1949.
Construction Appropriations – United States Congress March 3, 1801, Thomas Jefferson, President
New Point Comfort Light Station, VA (established in 1804)
Appropriated by act of Congress for a lighthouse on New Point Comfort, VA Mar. 3, 1801 $5,000
Appropriated in addition to the above item Mar. 2, 1803 $3,500
Reappropriated Mar. 14, 1804 $5,000
Appropriated additional, to complete Feb. 10, 1808 $ 177.20
Appropriated for rebuilding Apr. 27, 1816 $7,000
1870 “New Point Comfort, on the north side of the entrance to Mobjack Bay, west side of Chesapeake Bay, VA Fixed, 4th-order light, refitted in 1855. White tower, built in 1804. A stone tower.” (From “List of Light-houses, & c., 1870”)
1855 New Point Comfort. The keeper’s dwelling at this light station requires immediate repairs, painting, &c. The illuminating apparatus is in a very bad condition, being old and almost worn out. The repairs needed to the dwelling will be made on the first opportunity. This light should illuminate the whole horizon.
1856 “New illuminating apparatus has been placed in the following light-houses in this district, during the past year, viz: Hog Island, New Point Comfort, Pooles Island, Turkey Point, Sharps Island, Pamlico Point, Fishing Battery, Clay Island, Blakstone Island, the two at North Point, and Beacon Island."
1865 “The light has been restored at Stingray Point, after making certain needful repairs to the screw-pile structure, which though plundered of all movable articles, was but slightly injured. At New Point Comfort light-station the required repairs were more extensive and involved much time and expense. A new lens has been provided, and the light re-established.”
1868 211. New Point Comfort.—Window frames and sashes in tower repaired; all wood-work and lantern painted inside and out two coats; roof of dwelling re-shingled, and new rain-water gutters supplied; doors, locks, and hinges repaired; porches and inside of dwelling painted two coats; new pump to cistern provided; house, tower, and fences whitewashed, and the latter rebuilt; new glass set in windows.
1869 211. New Point Comfort.—The illuminating apparatus has been repaired. The water-conductors need repairing and the keeper’s dwelling should have a lightning conductor.
1882 312. New Point Comfort, entrance to Mobjack Bay, Virginia.—A new back porch was added to the dwelling, and the front steps and porch were repaired. A new floor was laid in the back building and provided with a trap-door, and the whole station was thoroughly painted.
1896 507. New Point Comfort, entrance to Mobjack Bay, Virginia.—In August the station was thoroughly repaired.
1900. 584. New Point Comfort, entrance to Mobjack Bay, Virginia.—Some 184 feet of rail fence was put up, and about 18 feet of plank walk 3 feet wide and 32 feet of walk 2 feet wide were laid. Various repairs were made.
List of Light Keepers, New Point Comfort, Virginia (courtesy The National Archives)
Elzy Burroughs Nov. 12, 1804
Robert Lithburn Apr. 4, 1814
James B. H. Johnson June 12, 1815
Wm. Johnson Feb. 24, 1819
W.R. Brownley Oct. 11, 1830
Isaac Foster Nov. 5, 1846 (confirm correct date; another entry cites appointment Jan47)
James B. White (revoked) Oct. 6, 1854
Edward S. White Nov. 1, 1854
Jas. S. Allen Sept. 4, 1865
Sylvester H. Wolhiser July 9, 1869
J. McHenry Farley May 1, 1871
John D. Hudgins June 27, 1873
Leonard Smithers (acting) Oct. 7, 1876
Leonard Smithers March 26, 1877
A.F. Hudgins Nov. 21, 1879
Wm. G. Ripley (acting) Dec. 30, 1881
C.W. Forrest (acting) Jan. 8, 1883
Oliver R. Hudgins Nov. 15, 1888
James B. Hurst Apr. 1, 1899
Richard Wiscom Marchant Oct. 1, 1901
Wesley F. Ripley Sept. 1, 1906 (at the end of the F.Y. 1912 still there)
Captain E. H. Sibley 1919
Henry Dow 1930 – retired 1954
(Made up from the Old Lighthouse Correspondence, Appointment Records and Record of Keepers Salaries)
EAW 7/52
See Lighthouse Correspondence #2779-E 1917-1920 Series regarding the change of the characteristics in the light.
EAW 7/42