Interest in the history and preservation of lighthouses has never been stronger. Lighthouses of the Mid-Atlantic Coast details the history of lighthouses and much more, and shows why these structures continue to fascinate us. Discover what life for lighthouse keepers was really like. Learn about the history of U.S. colonial lighthouses and the role lighthouses have played in several wars. Meet the brave, nefarious, and colorful characters who served as lighthouse keepers and government overseers. Learn about lighthouse technology and architecture and find out how these treasures are being preserved.

In Colonial times, as the Chesapeake Bay and larger rivers became vital shipping channels, the need arose to mark Maryland's dangerous shoals and waterways. Lighthouses sprang up throughout the 1800s and early 1900s, including wood-framed cottages placed upon screw pile foundations that stood offshore in the unforgiving waters. Most of these unique structures did not survive, lost tragically to ice that also occasionally claimed the lives of the keepers who faithfully tended them and rescued mariners in trouble. With the advent of electricity and GPS, many beacons succumbed to vandalism and neglect, leaving a fraction remaining.

This text features a sequence of 32 photographic essays, documenting in 170 haunting images each of the lighthouses still standing along the shoreline of the Chesapeake Bay. For each lighthouse there is a photograph of the structure in its setting, a view looking out from the lighthouse, and a close-up of some singular detail of the building. The text discusses how and why the lighthouses were built, important events in their history, and in some cases the lives of their keepers. The sequence of lighthouses follows an imaginary journey around the Bay, starting at Cape Henry, site of the oldest existing light.

Traces the grand history of lighthouses and lifesaving stations across the Atlantic coast of Virginia, from the richly historic Old Cape Henry Light and the candy-striped Assateague Light on the state's Eastern Shore to the tales of the men of the United States Life-Saving Service, the forerunner of today's Coast Guard. Original.

This book takes readers on a regional tour of 49 lighthouses and 4 lightships from the Hudson River to Chesapeake Bay. Featuring the masterful photographs of Bruce Roberts and Ray Jones compelling narratives, these magnificent books are histories, guidebooks, and celebrations of the lighthouses of New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia. Profiles include complete details on directions and visiting hours. (8 1/2 X 11, 86 pages, maps, color and b/w photos, bibliography, index)