Great Shoals Light
Encyclopedia
Great Shoals Light was a screw-pile lighthouse
in the Chesapeake Bay at the mouth of the Wicomico River
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in 1882. An appropriation was not made until the following year, and further delays pushed the commissioning date to August 1884.
In 1966 the light was dismantled and a modern automated light was erected on the old foundation.
Screw-pile lighthouse
A screw-pile lighthouse is a lighthouse which stands on piles that are screwed into sandy or muddy sea or river bottoms. The first screw-pile lighthouse was built by blind Irish engineer Alexander Mitchell...
in the Chesapeake Bay at the mouth of the Wicomico River
Wicomico River (Maryland eastern shore)
The Wicomico River is a tributary of the Chesapeake Bay on the eastern shore of Maryland. It drains an area of low marshlands and farming country in the middle Delmarva Peninsula. The name "Wicomico" derives from the words wicko mekee, meaning "a place where houses are built," apparently...
.
History
This light was constructed to mark a narrow channel at the entrance to the Wicomico River, as requested by the Maryland General AssemblyMaryland General Assembly
The Maryland General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Maryland. It is a bicameral body. The upper chamber, the Maryland State Senate, has 47 representatives and the lower chamber, the Maryland House of Delegates, has 141 representatives...
in 1882. An appropriation was not made until the following year, and further delays pushed the commissioning date to August 1884.
In 1966 the light was dismantled and a modern automated light was erected on the old foundation.