The New Point Comfort Lighthouse is located at the
southern tip of Mathews County, Virginia at the convergence of the
Chesapeake and Mobjack Bays. It was first illuminated in 1805, and is the
third oldest surviving lighthouse on the Chesapeake Bay, and the tenth
oldest in the country. Originally
situated on the tip of a point of land at the southern-most extent of
Mathews County, it now stands by itself a bit offshore on a tiny island
surrounded by rip-rap boulders. The lighthouse hasn't moved, but the land
on which it sat has steadily disappeared over the last two centuries. It
is currently owned by Mathews County.
To combat the threats from age and shoreline
erosion, the Mathews County Historical Society formed a task force in
2001, the New Point Comfort Lighthouse Preservation Task Force " to
develop a plan to preserve the New Point Comfort Lighthouse as a permanent
historic sentinel representing American navigation, transportation,
commerce, craftsmanship, engineering, and American's perseverance through
peace and war." The task force is gathering information on the
history of the lighthouse, studying coastal erosion, public access, and
security. Of special importance is its plans for preservation and
enhancement of the site and its surroundings, and its gathering funds for
the effort.
