Cambridge’s newest icon is now part of nationwide ‘passport’ program and Maryland Lighthouse Challenge.
The Chesapeake Bay’s newest lighthouse will open its doors for its first full season on Wednesday, May 1. Completed last September, the Choptank River Lighthouse will offer free, self-guided tours seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. from May through October. Admission is free, but donations are encouraged. The lighthouse features a mini-museum about the history of the original lighthouse and the area’s maritime heritage. It also serves as the dockmaster’s office for the Cambridge Marina.
The new season brings new recognition on a state and national level for the six-sided, screwpile lighthouse.
On the state level, the Choptank River Lighthouse has been selected to be part of the 2013 Maryland Lighthouse Challenge. This event encourages lighthouse fans to visit 12 lighthouses around the Chesapeake Bay during one weekend, Sept. 21-22. Organized by the Chesapeake Chapter of the U.S. Lighthouse Society, the biennial event draws hundreds of lighthouse enthusiasts from around Maryland and beyond. For details, visit the Maryland Challenge website at www.cheslights.org/challenge.htm.
On a national level, the Choptank River Lighthouse is now part of the Passport Program sponsored by the U.S. Lighthouse Society. Visitors can bring their special lighthouse passport to the Choptank River Lighthouse and have it stamped with a unique stamp. Other lighthouses around the country and Canada also provide one-of-a-kind stamps for visitors who present their passports. The lighthouse passports are available for purchase at the shop Just Yesterday (317 High Street in downtown Cambridge), and soon at the Dorchester Visitor Center (2 Rose Hill Place, Cambridge). For details and a full list of participating lighthouses, visit www.uslhs.org/passports.php.
“Both the Passport Program and the Maryland Lighthouse Challenge show that the Choptank River Lighthouse is now part of a large and dedicated network of lighthouses and lighthouse enthusiasts,” said Jackie Noller, vice president of the Cambridge Lighthouse Foundation, the nonprofit that raises funds to promote increased visitation to the Choptank River Lighthouse and helps drive economic activity in Cambridge. “This is a great step forward for the lighthouse and the City of Cambridge.”
Noller also noted that the lighthouse is available for special event rentals for up to 30 people. The lighthouse has already hosted client appreciation events and workforce recognition events. For details on event rental, call 410.228.4031.
Noller added that the lighthouse is also looking for volunteers to serve as Lighthouse Greeter Guides on weekends and holidays. A volunteer training is scheduled for Monday, April 29. For details, call George Wright at 410.228.9430.
From an economic development standpoint, the U.S. Lighthouse Society estimates the Choptank River Lighthouse could draw 20,000 visitors annually. The Maryland Lighthouse Challenge has had an average of 850 to 1,000 participants over the past decade.
About the Choptank River Lighthouse
The Choptank River Lighthouse is a replica of a lighthouse that once guided mariners along the Choptank River. The replica lighthouse is located on Pier A at Long Wharf Park in Cambridge on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. The original lighthouse was located a few miles away near the mouth of the Tred Avon River. Learn more about the lighthouse at ChoptankRiverLighthouse.org.
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