Holland Island Bar Light

Holland Island Bar Light is a lighthouse built on a hexagonal wooden frame with a screw pile foundation in Chesapeake Bay waters. The structure housed a fourth-order Fresnel lens and a fog bell that provided acoustic signals to vessels during poor visibility.

The lighthouse was constructed in 1889 to guide ships through Kedges Strait and served this navigation purpose for many decades. It underwent automation and partial dismantling in the early 1960s.

The lighthouse represents the maritime heritage of Maryland, serving as a crucial navigation point for ships traversing the Chesapeake Bay waters.

Visitors can view this structure from the water or from certain vantage points along the bay shore, as it stands in the shallow waters of the bay. The best viewing conditions occur during daylight hours when visibility is at its maximum.

In 1957, three Navy aircraft mistakenly fired rockets at this structure, thinking it was a different naval target. The incident remains a striking moment in its operational history.

Location: Somerset County

Inception: 1889

GPS coordinates: 38.06871,-76.09581

Latest update: December 12, 2025 07:57