Chesapeake (lightship)
Museum ship in Baltimore (Independent City), Maryland. Built 1930. Added to the National Register in 1980, and a National Historic Landmark.
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What it is
United States lightship Chesapeake (LS-116/WAL-538/WLV-538) is a museum ship owned by the National Park Service and on a 25-year loan to Baltimore City, and is operated by Historic Ships in Baltimore Museum in Baltimore, Maryland. A National Historic Landmark, she is one of a small number of preserved lightships. Since 1820, several lightships have served at the Chesapeake lightship station and have been called Chesapeake. Lightships were initially lettered in the early 1800s, but then numbered as they were often moved from one light station to another. The name painted on the side of lightships was the short name of the Light Station they were assigned to and was the daytime visual aspect of the many Aids to Navigation on board lightships. The United States Coast Guard assigned new hull numbers to all lightships still in service in late 1940s, but the Coast Guard did not enforce the use of the new hull designation and number, WAL-538, until January 1951. In January 1965 the Coast Guard further modified all lightship hull designations from WAL to WLV, so Chesapeake became WLV-538.
Text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
The record
| Property type | Structure |
| Address | Inner Harbor, Baltimore (Independent City), MD |
| Independent city | City of Baltimore |
| Listed | Aug 1, 1980 |
| Listed for | Commerce, Transportation, Politics and government, Architecture |
| Level of significance | National |
| Also known as | Fenwick; Delaware |
| Reference number | 80000349 |
| Built | 1930 · more from the 1930s |
| Type of place | lightvessel |
| Designations | National Historic Landmark |
| Contributing resources | 1 structure |
| Standing | Yes |
The nomination form, the document that argues why this place matters, is in the National Archives: Read the nomination ↗
Visiting
| Address | Inner Harbor, Baltimore (Independent City), MD |
| Coordinates | 39.2857° N, 76.6088° W · Directions ↗ |
| Also in Baltimore (Independent City) | 282 listed places in Baltimore (Independent City) → · walking tours → |
| Nearest national park unit | Star-Spangled Banner National Historic Trail · under a mile · on Park Atlas |
| Federal campgrounds nearby | Greenbelt Campground 26 miles · Greenbelt Park Picnic Areas 26 miles · Greenbelt Park Ranger Station 26 miles |
Explore
Map
Nearby in City of Baltimore
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Local history books for City of Baltimore
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Guidebooks to historic places in Maryland
Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.
Reference
Questions people ask
When was Chesapeake (lightship) listed on the National Register?
Aug 1, 1980. It is also a National Historic Landmark, the higher of the two designations.
Source: National Park Service
When was Chesapeake (lightship) built?
1930.
Source: Wikidata
Can I visit Chesapeake (lightship)?
Yes. Chesapeake (lightship) is recorded as open to the public.
Source: Wikidata
Where is Chesapeake (lightship)?
Inner Harbor, Baltimore (Independent City), City of Baltimore, Maryland. The nearest national park unit is Star-Spangled Banner National Historic Trail, under a mile away.
Where is the nomination form for Chesapeake (lightship)?
The National Archives holds the nomination form, the document that made the case for listing.
Source: National Archives
Are there campgrounds near Chesapeake (lightship)?
Three federal campgrounds are within reach. The closest is Greenbelt Campground, 26 miles away. Greenbelt Park Picnic Areas is 26 miles away, and Greenbelt Park Ranger Station is 26 miles away.
Source: Campsite Atlas
Is there cell service at Chesapeake (lightship)?
FCC coverage maps show Verizon 5G, AT&T 5G, and T-Mobile 5G at the listed point. Coverage indoors and behind old masonry is another matter.
Source: FCC Broadband Map
Sources
Location, type and contributing counts come from the National Park Service's National Register spatial data. Listing dates come from the National Register office's spreadsheet where it carries the listing. Construction date, architect, style, photograph and encyclopedia link come from Wikidata and Wikimedia Commons, matched on reference number 80000349. Nothing here is transcribed by hand. The nomination form and photographs ↗ at NPGallery are the original nomination as filed with the National Park Service, and the form is often the best description of the place. The description under "What it is" is the opening of the Wikipedia article, CC BY-SA.