Islands of the Chesapeake Bay
The Chesapeake Bay has many offshore islands. Many of them at one point in time were the sites of thriving towns and resorts. This article only includes the islands that are not accessible by land. Powerful winter storms and quite a few hurricanes have taken their toll on the shores of these lonely areas. Traces of civilization can still be seen today on some of the islands, but much only remains as shoal marked on nautical chart. Only 2 of the Chesapeake offshore islands are inhabited, Smith Island in Maryland and Tangier Island in Virginia.
Bloodsworth Island
Bloodsworth Island is a 5,300 acre island located slightly northwest of Deale Island on the Eastern Shore of the bay and northeast of Point Lookout on the western shore. In 1779 the land was sold to Robert Bloodsworth, his family made the island their home and gave it the name that still stands today. By the 1930's the island's residents had left, and the last section of land was sold to the U.S. Navy by 1948 and was used as a bombing practice range. Erosion has claimed some of Bloodsworths' shores, far enough that a waterman setting crab pots struck a submerged WWII era tank that was placed on the island for target practice. Today the island is off limits to the public because of the dangers of unexploded ordinance. Information from the governments website states to keep clear of the islands shores by 75 yards due to the risks. Waterfowl hunting is allowed by special permit only.
South Marsh Island
South Marsh Island is a 3,000 acre island located between Bloodsworth and Smith Islands. As the name implies, a majority is tidal marshland. The island is home to many birds, animals and fish, and is currently a protected Wildlife Management Area. During the American Revolution, South Marsh was a popular hiding spot for picaroons and pirates in the Chesapeake who preyed on American ships, who were unable to be afforded protection because the Maryland and Virginia State Navies were busy fighting the British.
Smith Island
Smith Island has the distinction of being Maryland's only inhabited offshore island. To the west lies Point Lookout and the Potomac River, and 12 miles to the east is Crisfield, Maryland. According to the 2000 census, the islands' population was 364. Ferries to the island run from Point Lookout, and from Crisfield. The first line of work on the island is in the fishing industry, with the second going to tourism. Something interesting about Smith Island is it's residents dialect. It has been said to resemble the dialect of the West Country of England. The Smith Island 8-Layer cake has been named the official dessert of Maryland. The island is home to 3 separate communities: Ewell, the largest, Rhodes Point, and Tylerton. Erosion has taken it's toll here as well, with 3,300 acres being lost over the last 150 years. The Army Corps of Engineers has recently begun taking steps to slow down the erosion.
Tangier Island
Tangier Island is home to 604 people, most of whom make their living off of the Bay. During the War of 1812, the British used Tangier as a staging area for their failed assault on Baltimore. Like the Smith Islanders, the local people have their own dialect that reflects the times the early colonists. Tangier Island is located south of Smith Island, just on the Virginia side of the MD/VA border. The island has 3 main ridges, with 4 total neighborhoods. The neighborhoods are Me at Soup, Sheep's Head, Black Dye and Hog Ridge. Ships from the eastern and western shores serve the Island, 2 from Crisfield, MD and 1 from Reedville, VA. There are 3 bed and breakfasts', some gift shops, a few restaurants, and a small museum. Tangier is serviced by an airport as well as the boats that run to and from the island. Tangier has had it's share of erosion like it's sisters. In the 1990's a stone jetty virtually eliminated the erosion problem the island had been suffering. There is a power plant on the island, but it's chiefly used as a backup source.
Pooles Island
Pooles Island was named after one of John Smiths' crewmen, Nathaniel Powell. In 1808 the island was listed as 280 acres and was turned into a thriving wheat farm. Pooles Island is located east of Aberdeen Proving Ground, off of the mouth of the Gunpowder River. During the War of 1812, the British attacked the island, but Pooles still continued to be a major crop producer. 1825 brought the arrival of John Donahoo, the famous builder of many Chesapeake Lighthouses, and the Pooles Island Light was built for $5500 ($5000 for the lighthouse itself and $500 for 6 acres of land). Pooles Island is another island in the Chesapeake that was used for ordinance testing. Landing on the island is prohibited because of the dangers associated with the unexploded shells. In 1994 the U.S. Army applied to have the light placed on the National Historic Register, and in 1997 the light tower got an extensive restoration.
Watts Island and Little Watts Island
The once inhabited Watts Island lies at the entrance to Pocomoke sound, slightly southeast of Tangier Island. The island was first listed as 400 acres in 1652, and originally named Gabriel's Island. As with most islands of the Chesapeake, erosion has worn away the island to a fraction of it's original size.
The Watts Island light was built on Little Watts Island, just south of the much larger Watts. A storm in the Winter of 1944 destroyed the lighthouse, it's listed on the nautical charts as a navigational hazard, "Watts Island Rocks". When the lighthouse was built on Little Watts in 1833, the island was listed at 7 acres, but when sold in 1923 to a Baltimore businessman, only 3 acres remained.
Sharps Island
Located slightly southeast of the mouth of Choptank River, Sharps Island was once the site of a thriving Chesapeake Bay resort. In 1675 the island was listed as 700 acres. Probably the fastest eroding island on the Bay, it had 438 acres in 1848. By 1900 the island had little more than 90 acres, and it's 19th century resort hotel was claimed by the waters soon after. Today the island is a large shoal, 4 feet deep as marked on the nautical charts. The island was home to 3 lighthouses. The first light was built in 1837 and had to be moved back once to keep it from falling into the Chesapeake. Once again in 1848 the waters of the Bay reached the light, and the Lighthouse Board reported "destruction imminent". To attempt to counter the fast erosion of the island, the Board responded with the construction of a screwpile style lighthouse. This light was knocked off it's foundation by ice, and drifted in the water 5 miles until grounding itself off of Tilghman Island. Finally an caisson style light was built in 1882, and is the famous "Leaning Lighthouse of the Chesapeake". It's current 15 degree list was also caused by heavy ice floes that this area is infamous for.
Barren Island
Barren Island was once inhabited, despite the name. It boasted a school, stores, 14 farms, 3 cemeteries, and a Church. The island is situated near Upper Hooper Island on the Eastern Shore of the Bay, and directly across from the Patuxant River on the western shore. The island is the site of many arrowhead and Native American pottery finds, as well as a few 18th century coins. Barren Island is the home of many Bay birds such as swans, terns, and pelicans. The island may be included in a proposal to restore some Bay islands with dredge material from Baltimore Harbor, as is taking place at Poplar Island.
Poplar Island
Poplar Island, due south of Bloody Point, was another of the "once inhabited islands" of the Chesapeake. In 1847 the island was over 1000 acres and now it's down to 4 separate islands with a total area of less than 10 acres. During it's peak, Poplar had many farms, a post office, a school and a sawmill. Presidents Franklin Roosevelt and Harry S. Truman were visitors to the island. Poplar Island is being restored by numerous federal, state, and local agencies using dredge material from Baltimore Harbor, 30 miles up the bay. The project is set for completion in 2016, and plans to restore over 1,000 acres to the island, attempting to return it to it's natural shape.
Holland Island
Located in the island chain that makes up Bloodsworth, South Marsh, Smith and Tangier Islands,Holland Island was a site of one of the larger communities on the many now abandoned islands in the Chesapeake Bay. Remains of old homes are still visible in the marshy land. Up until 1914, Holland Island had 300 inhabitants, 60 houses, a doctor, 4 stores, a post office, and a baseball team that fared very well against it's rivals. Three cemeteries are on Holland Island, although one has been claimed by the Chesapeake. A few of the houses on the island were dismantled piece by piece and rebuilt on the mainland as soon as it was realized that they wouldn't last long if they weren't moved. The Holland Island House still stands on the island, but the waves of the bay are knocking at the front door. Efforts are being undertaken to slow the erosion around the house until plans can be put into place to save it.
