Yorktown in York County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)

Tue Marshes Lighthouse

Photographed by Brandon D Cross

1. Tue Marshes Lighthouse Marker

Inscription.

Tue Marshes Lighthouse. . , . Built in 1875 on the Goodwin Islands at the entrance of the York River., . The lighthouse was a white square cottage supported by 5 piles, with a brown roof. The first level consisted of a storeroom, sitting room and kitchen. A privy was cantilevered off the main deck. It was equipped with a sixth-order Fresnel lens exhibiting a fixed white light with a red sector. , , . The most unique feature of this lighthouse was the gingerbread wood details on the eaves of the roof. , , . The original spelling was "Too's Marshes", but it was changed to the current spelling sometime in the late 1890s. , , . In the 1850s, the Lighthouse Board began replacing lightships and lighthouses with screwpile structures. The depth of the pilings varied depending on the firmness of the bedrock but usually were not driven more than six feet deep. The tapered iron pilings were between 6-10 inches in diameter and the corkscrew flanges at the ends were usually 2-3 feet from tip to tip. These blades twisted the pilings into the river bottom., (timeline) , 1874 Congress appropriates $15,000 to build a lighthouse at Tues Marshes in the York River , 1875 Construction of a square, screwpile lighthouse is completed - the light is shown for the first time on August 15th , 1899 Miscellaneous repairs are made, and new fifth-order lamps are installed in November , 1900 Two iron landing ladders are installed , 1915 Keeper John F. Jarvis is awarded the Inspectors Efficiency Gold Star , an annual award presented by the local District Lighthouse Inspector , 1918 Keeper John F. Jarvis is awarded the Commissioners Efficiency Star . an award presented to keepers who receive the Inspector's Gold Star for three consecutive years , 1921 A military ship from the Naval Air Station is seen in distress near the lighthouse- Keeper John F. Jarvis and Assistant Robert F. Powell send a message to request aid to help the ship , 1960 The U.S. Coast Guard deactivates the lighthouse. The cottage is dismantled and removed , An automatic light is mounted on a skeletal tower that is mounted to the remaining screwpile foundation , 2014 The U.S. Coast Guard announces that the original screwpile foundation will be removed, due to structural failure , 2015 The U.S. Coast Guard removes the original screwpile foundation , Designed by CC-USLHS Historian Jennifer C. Jones , Historical placard placed in 2021 by the Watermen's Museum, www.watermens.org and the Chesapeake Chapter of the United States Lighthouse Society, www.cheslights.org, (captions) , Tue Marshes Lighthouse with keeper standing below , 1885 National Archives Photo Courtesy USHS , Tue Marshes Lighthouse aerial view , date unknown United States Lighthouse Society Photo , Screwpile tip from Drum Point Lighthouse At Calvert Marine Museum Photo courtesy USLHS

• Built in 1875 on the Goodwin Islands at the entrance of the York River.

• The lighthouse was a white square cottage supported by 5 piles, with a brown roof. The first level consisted of a storeroom, sitting room & kitchen. A privy was cantilevered off the main deck. It was equipped with a sixth-order Fresnel lens exhibiting a fixed white light with a red sector.

• The most unique feature of this lighthouse was the gingerbread wood details on the eaves of the roof.

• The original spelling was "Too's Marshes", but it was changed to the current spelling sometime in the late 1890s.

• In the 1850s, the Lighthouse Board began replacing lightships and lighthouses with screwpile structures. The depth of the pilings varied depending on the firmness of the bedrock but usually were not driven more than six feet deep. The tapered iron pilings were between 6-10 inches in diameter and the corkscrew flanges at the ends were usually 2-3 feet from tip to tip. These blades twisted the pilings into the river bottom.

(timeline)
1874 Congress appropriates $15,000 to build a lighthouse at Tues Marshes in the York River
1875 Construction of a square, screwpile lighthouse is completed - the light is shown for the first time on August 15th
1899 Miscellaneous

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repairs are made, & new fifth-order lamps are installed in November
1900 Two iron landing ladders are installed
1915 Keeper John F. Jarvis is awarded the Inspectors Efficiency Gold Star — an annual award presented by the local District Lighthouse Inspector
1918 Keeper John F. Jarvis is awarded the Commissioners Efficiency Star • an award presented to keepers who receive the Inspector's Gold Star for three consecutive years
1921 A military ship from the Naval Air Station is seen in distress near the lighthouse- Keeper John F. Jarvis & Assistant Robert F. Powell send a message to request aid to help the ship
1960 The U.S. Coast Guard deactivates the lighthouse. The cottage is dismantled & removed — An automatic light is mounted on a skeletal tower that is mounted to the remaining screwpile foundation
2014 The U.S. Coast Guard announces that the original screwpile foundation will be removed, due to structural failure
2015 The U.S. Coast Guard removes the original screwpile foundation

Designed by CC-USLHS Historian Jennifer C. Jones
Historical placard placed in 2021 by the Watermen's Museum, www.watermens.org and the Chesapeake Chapter of the United States Lighthouse Society, www.cheslights.org

(captions)
Tue Marshes Lighthouse with keeper standing

Photographed by Brandon D Cross

2. Tue Marshes Lighthouse Marker

below — 1885 National Archives Photo Courtesy USHS
Tue Marshes Lighthouse aerial view — date unknown United States Lighthouse Society Photo
Screwpile tip from Drum Point Lighthouse At Calvert Marine Museum Photo courtesy USLHS

Erected 2021 by Watermen's Museum and the Chesapeake Chapter of the United Lighthouse Society.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Communications • Waterways & Vessels. In addition, it is included in the Lighthouses series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1875.

Location. 37° 14.366′ N, 76° 30.593′ W. Marker is in Yorktown, Virginia, in York County. It can be reached from Water Street 0.2 miles west of Buckner Street, on the right when traveling east. The marker is located along Yorktown's Riverwalk. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 309 Water Street, Yorktown VA 2360, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is on Virginia’s Peninsula,

in Coastal Virginia,

and in the Hampton Roads Metropolitan Area.

It is also in the American South,

specifically in the Upper South,

and in the Tidewater.

Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region,

North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

one of the original Thirteen Colonies,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Bells Rock Lighthouse (here, next to this marker); York Spit Lighthouse (a few steps from this marker); Chesapeake Bay Watermen (a few steps from this marker); York River Ferry (a few steps from this marker); Pale Moon (within shouting distance of this marker); What’s a Chesapeake Bay Deadrise?

Tue Marshes Lighthouse image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Wikipedia

3. Tue Marshes Lighthouse

(within shouting distance of this marker); Virginia Chesapeake Bay Patent Tong Work Boats (within shouting distance of this marker); Oysters and the Chesapeake Bay (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Yorktown.

Also see . . .
1. Watermen's Museum. Preserving The Heritage of the Watermen of the Chesapeake Bay (Submitted on February 11, 2025.)

2. Tue Marshes Lighthouse. Chesapeake Chapter U.S.L.H.S. (Submitted on February 10, 2025, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida.)

3. Watermen's Museum. National Park Service (Submitted on February 10, 2025, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida.)

Credits. This page was last revised on February 11, 2025. It was originally submitted on February 10, 2025, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida. This page has been viewed 178 times since then and 27 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on February 10, 2025, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.