Windmill Point Light

Windmill Point Light stands at the mouth of Virginia’s Rappahannock River, marking the end of the hazardous Rappahannock Spit where river and bay traffic long needed warning. Established in 1869, it replaced the last of three lightships that had served the site since 1839, including one seized by Confederate forces during the Civil War. The exposed offshore station suffered repeated damage, notably from ice in the winter of 1917–1918, with repairs finished in 1921. Automated in 1954 and altered in 1965, the light was rebuilt again in 2007–2008. It remains active, while remnants of earlier structures still make the site dangerous to approach.

Virginia · United States