Wolf Trap Light Station
Why it's listed
Wolf Trap Light Station is an offshore lighthouse in the Chesapeake Bay, in Mathews County, Virginia, standing in about 16 feet of water on the east end of Wolf Trap Spit. Completed in 1894, it rests on a wooden caisson sunk 12 feet into the bottom, topped by a 30-foot cast-iron cylinder filled with concrete. Above it sits an octagonal two-story brick dwelling with a square tower and a cast-iron lantern. Earlier markers at the shoal included lightships and a screw pile lighthouse built in 1870, which ice destroyed in 1893. The present structure replaced it. The station matters for its role in the federal system of navigational aids serving a major commercial corridor, and as an example of pneumatic caisson construction, a method used for only eleven lighthouses in the United States, seven of them in the Chesapeake Bay. It was automated in 1971, remains an active navigation aid under Coast Guard ownership, and is reached only by boat.
Significance in brief: The station is significant for its link to federal efforts to build a system of navigational aids for safe shipping in the Chesapeake Bay. It also embodies the caisson construction method typical of Chesapeake lighthouses in the later nineteenth century. It is one of only eleven pneumatic caisson lighthouses built in the United States, seven of them in the Bay.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 02001434, listed December 2, 2002. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | SE of New Point Comfort, Poquoson East |
|---|---|
| County | Mathews County |
| Listed | December 2, 2002 |
| Reference number | 02001434 |
| Resource type | Structure |
| Period of significance | 1894-1952 |
| Architect / builder | U.S. Lighthouse Board |
| Architectural style | No Style |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Maritime History, Transportation, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still an active aid to navigation owned by the U.S. Coast Guard; it was automated in 1971 and overhauled in 1991 and 1996. Access is by boat. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 37.23030, -76.18967 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For a publicly owned building or structure, listing mainly matters when federal funds, permits or licences are involved: projects then go through Section 106 review so effects on the property are considered. Listing also strengthens applications for preservation grants and, for leased income-producing uses, can enable the federal rehabilitation tax credit.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 02001434.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q8029912
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.