Other names: Benoni Light, Choptank River Light
This aid to navigation, located southeast of Benoni Point, marks the channel for the Choptank River. This light was used as part of the 1933 Tred Avon Yacht Club’s annual regatta. This race was probably the last in which bugeyes (round bottom, two masted sailing oyster dredge boats) participated. Since then the only workboats which participated have been skipjacks (v-bottomed, single masted oyster dredge boats). Folger McKenzie wrote several poems between 1909 and 1910 for the Baltimore Sun about steamboating on the Chesapeake, in three of them he mentions Benoni Light:“Going For The Boat,” Steamboats All Stop Runnin’” and “Excursion Days.” The last verse of this last poem which includes the reference to Benoni follows:
Excursion days! The Cambridge pants,
The old Tred Avon sweetly chants;
The Choptank Steamers, Oh, how sweet
The song-names of the old bay fleet!
Benoni gleams by Oxford’s shore
Excursion days, Oh, come!
When round by Double Mills once more
The Avalon’s side-wheels hum!
Note: Double Mills is a steamboat wharf on Tred Avon River (see Double Mills), Tred Avon, Cambridge and Avalon are the names of steamboats.
(Choptank River Cultural Resources Inventory, 1999-2002)