Janes Island Light

Janes Island Light stood near Crisfield, Maryland, warning mariners of a shoal extending into Tangier Sound from the southwest point of Janes Island, also called James Island. It formed part of the Chesapeake Bay network that guided vessels through shallow, shifting waters. The hazard was first marked by lightships in 1853, then by a screw-pile lighthouse in 1866, chosen for the soft bottom. Ice repeatedly damaged the station, destroying the first structure in 1879 and damaging its replacement in 1893. In 1935 the lighthouse was torn from its foundation, drifted for three days, and sank, after which an automated beacon replaced it.

Maryland · United States