"Between the Rappahanock and the Piankatank" Stingray Point by grandmaR

Bridge over the Rappahannock

According to legend, the point of land here got its name from Captain John Smith, founder of Jamestown, who was stung by a stingray near here while exploring and mapping the Chesapeake. The Englishman believed he was dying from the injury and actually gave instructions to his men concerning the disposal of his body. He survived, thanks to the help of local Indians at a nearby location now known appropriately as Antipoison Creek.

Spider off the point

The original lighthouse was a hexagonal screwpile built in 1858. It had become automated shortly before being dismantled in 1965. Sections of the lighthouse were sold to Gilbert Purcell, a boatyard owner who hoped to rebuild the lighthouse on land, but never did.

Of the 42 screwpile lighthouses erected in the bay and its rivers from the 1850s into the early 20th century, only one - Thomas Point Shoal Light - survives in its original location

The current light is an automatic beacon on a steel skeletal tower that was erected on the original screwpile foundation. It is 34-feet high and has a 4-second flash

A replica serves as the office for the Stingray Point Marina.

From September 2003 edition of Lighthouse Digest Magazine:.
The lens and other artifacts associated with the lighthouse are long gone, but the marina owners have obtained a number of items similar to equipment once found at the lighthouse. A fifth order drum-type lens in the lantern is dimly illuminated by a small fluorescent bulb. “It is dim to insure that it is not mistaken for a navigation light,” says Brent Halsey, “and so it does not disturb our slip holders.” The light is fixed white like the original. “We intend to incorporate a red sector,” adds Halsey, “also duplicating the original.” A 1942 bronze Coast Guard bell has also been installed along with a circa-1880 Gamewell bell striking machine, once used at a fire station.

The lighthouse is fully heated and air-conditioned and one-third of its area will serve as the marina office. The rest of the building will serve as a mini-museum, which will be open to the public whenever the office is staffed or by appointment.