Published in 1973 by the Johns Hopkins University Press; 173 pages. For many years, this was the only book available on Chesapeake Bay lighthouses. It still remains a classic, with each standing lighthouse (in 1973) having its own "chapter" with 2-4 pages of text and unique black & white photographs. It also has a section with a short paragraph describing each of the dismantled lighthouses. If you look hard enough, you can still find original copies in area bookstores, or obtain a copy through a used book dealer. It is becoming a collector’s item. This deGast book is still in print, it's in its third or fourth printing and the cover has been changed to paperback from the original hard cover. It may be available in your local bookstore.
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Bay Beacons, by Linda Turbyville

Published in 1995 by Eastwind Publishing; 137 pages. Bay Beacons is a lovely book, similar in format to The Lighthouses of the Chesapeake Bay (i.e., a "chapter" for each standing lighthouse in the Bay), but more up-to-date, with much more information about each lighthouse, and with some very nice full page color photographs. So if you want to find out as much as you can about one of the lighthouses still in the Bay, this is the book for you. The book is in print, retails for $29.95, and can be found in area bookstores, lighthouse merchandise stores, or ordered from the publisher: Eastwind Publishing, P.O. Box 1773, Annapolis MD 21404 (410-721-7987).
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Forgotten Beacons, by Patrick Hornberger and Linda Turbyville

Published in 1997 by Eastwind Publishing; 134 pages. Forgotten Beacons is the complement and supplement to Bay Beacons, and focuses on all of the Bay area lighthouses that no longer exist…thus its title. The authors document all aspects of the lighthouse establishment in our area, including lighthouses, lightships, lighthouse depots, and lighthouse tenders. The book is organized into chapters that deal with different eras: for example, Chapter I covers 1790-1850; Chapter II covers 1850-1870; Chapter III covers 1870-1910. Each "forgotten beacon" is depicted in a vintage black & white photograph accompanied by factual information about it. For those that enjoy history and wish to travel through time to relish the Bay’s "lost" lighthouses, lightships, and supporting establishment, this is required reading. The book is in print, retails for $23.95, and can be found in area bookstores, lighthouse merchandise stores, or ordered from the publisher: Eastwind Publishing, P.O. Box 1773, Annapolis MD 21404 (410-721-7987).
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Lighting the Bay: Tales of Chesapeake Lighthouses, by Pat Vojtech

Published in 1996 by Tidewater Publishing; 194 pages. Lighting the Bay is a delightful book full of dramatic color photographs and interesting stories about the lighthouses of the area and their lighthouse keepers. The chapter titles reveal the interesting stories that they tell; these include: "Under Siege", "Earthquake", "Stranded in the Ice", "Isolation, Illness, Death, and the Law", "Imprisoned by Fog", "Tearing Down the Screwpiles". The book’s appendix is a compendium of all Chesapeake Bay area lighthouses ever built, with each one being described with a couple of paragraphs of text and a thumbnail black & white photograph. The book is in print, retails for $34.95, and can be found in area bookstores, lighthouse merchandise stores, or ordered from the publisher: Tidewater Publishing, Centreville MD 21617.
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Lighthouses of Virginia, by Jerry Zaccaria

Published in 1997 by TR XIV Publishing; 40 pages. Lighthouses of Virginia is a guidebook of all existing lighthouses in Virginia. As the author states in the inside cover, "The intent of this book is to provide the reader with a brief overview of the history associated with each lighthouse. The book is not intended to be a complete historical record." Each lighthouse gets a page of informative text and a page or more of color photographs. The author’s approach to this guidebook was unique in that he was able to get aboard and inside each of the standing lighthouses by traveling with U.S. Coast Guard Aids to Navigation Teams (ANTs). He describes the interior of the lights and provides photographs of their condition. The book is in print, retails for $24.95, and can be purchased from the publisher: TR XIV Publishing, Suite 316B, 620 Frog Pond Rd, Staunton VA 24401; 540-886-1194 or jerryzac@cfw.com.
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Maryland Lighthouses of the Chesapeake Bay, by F. Ross Holland

Published in 1997 by The Maryland Historical Trust Press and the Friends of St. Clement's Island Museum, Inc.  Maryland Lighthouses of the Chesapeake Bay is a complete history of all Maryland lighthouses, both existing and destroyed.  There are many old photos, charts, plans, and diagrams of the lights.  An excellent book.  The book is in print, retails for $32.50.  ISBN number 1-878399-70-5.