Fog Point Light, Historic lighthouse on Smith Island, Maryland
Fog Point Light was a lighthouse on Smith Island, an island in Chesapeake Bay, Maryland. The building had a house structure with a lantern mounted on the roof and stood about 40 feet tall, constructed from stone and wood materials.
The lighthouse was built in 1827 by John Donahoo to guide ships through Kedges Strait. It remained operational until it was deactivated in 1875.
The lighthouse served as a vital reference point for fishermen and vessels moving through local waters. Residents of Smith Island depended on its light to navigate safely at night.
The original lighting system consisted of ten Argand lamps with reflectors, which were later replaced by a Fresnel lens. Its location on swampy ground made the structure vulnerable to damage and deterioration.
The lighthouse was eventually replaced by the nearby Solomons Lump Light and then disappeared completely. This fate shows how coastal erosion and wet conditions have erased historic structures along Chesapeake Bay.
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