Sharps Island Lighthouse, one of the cassion-type lighthouses left on the Bay, sits on the sand bar of Tilghman Island. The lighthouse leans to one side because of damage caused by ice in the early 1970's. The sand bar is all that remains of Sharps Island, which was once a thriving community with with a steamer wharf to receive tourists from Baltimore. This island served as the model for James Michener's book "Chesapeake", and continues to be a popular fishing ground.