Cape Henry Light
Cape Henry Lighthouse
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Two Lighthouses at Cape Henry
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Location | Virginia Beach, Virginia |
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Coordinates | Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. |
Built | Old Lighthouse, 1792; New lighthouse, 1881 |
Architect | Federal Government |
MPS | Light Stations of the United States MPS |
NRHP Reference # | 66000910, 02001439 |
VLR # | 134-0007, 134-0079 |
Significant dates | |
Added to NRHP | October 15, 1966, December 2, 2002[2] |
Designated NHL | April 15, 1970[3] |
Designated VLR | September 9, 1969, September 10, 2003[1] |
The Cape Henry Lighthouse has long been important for the large amount of ocean-going shipping traffic for the harbors, its rivers, and shipping headed to ports on the Chesapeake Bay. The original lighthouse was the first lighthouse authorized by the U.S. government, dating from 1792. It was also the first federal construction project under the Constitution, for an original contract amount of $15,200 (an additional $2,500 was required to finish the lighthouse). A second lighthouse was built and completed in 1881 a short distance away after concern arose about the stability of the first.
History
The first work of the new U.S. Federal government, the first Cape Henry lighthouse was built of Aquia and Rappahannock sandstone by John McComb, Jr. and was completed in October, 1792. McComb was one of the architects involved in the construction of New York City Hall and would design other lighthouses. The lighthouse's design was based on the 1767 Cape Henlopen Light.[4] The lighthouse was damaged by Confederate forces during the American Civil War, but was repaired by Union forces in 1863, who depended on the light for navigation.[5] In the 1870s, concerns about the condition and safety of the old Lighthouse at Cape Henry following a lightning strike that caused large cracks in the structure led to the construction of a new, taller, lighthouse at Cape Henry (pictured to the right) in 1881, which stands 350 feet to the southeast of the original tower.[6] The old tower remained standing, used as a daymark and as a basis for triangulation. The lighthouse was fully automated in 1983 and remains in use today.[7][8]
Description
In 1798, Benjamin Latrobe visited Cape Henry Lighthouse and described it as "an octangular truncated pyramid of eight sides, rising 90 feet to the light..."[9] The Old Cape Henry Lighthouse is 26 feet in diameter at its base, and 16 feet at its top.[8] It was built with Aquia Creek sandstone from the same source as the White House.[10]
The new lighthouse, 157 feet (48 m) tall, was built of cast iron and wrought iron, with a more powerful first-order Fresnel lens.[4]
Preservation
The older lighthouse was acquired in 1930 by Preservation Virginia (formerly known as the Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities). A brick lining and an iron stairway have been added to the interior. The lighthouse is open to the public and a fine view can be enjoyed from its observation platform. It was designated a National Historic Landmark on January 29, 1964. In 2002 the American Society of Civil Engineers designated the lighthouse a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark.[5][8]
The lighthouses are located in the city of Virginia Beach within the boundaries of Joint Expeditionary Base East, a Navy base. The Cape Henry Memorial is adjacent to the lighthouses.[5]
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Old Cape Henry Light NPS.jpg
the first tower in 1995 (NPS)
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4a12490r loc Cape Henry Lighthouses in 1905.jpg
1905 photo of both lighthouses from a different angle. U.S. Library of Congress
See also
- First Landing State Park
- Boston Light for more on lighthouse firsts
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Virginia Beach, Virginia
References
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- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ http://www.lighthousefriends.com/light.asp?ID=448
- ↑ Catherine E. Dean, "The Old Cape Henry Lighthouse", 2006, APVA Preservation Virginia, ISBN=1-891468-48-0
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lighthouse Friends Old Cape Henry description
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Cape Henry lighthouses. |
- Pages with broken file links
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- Lighthouses on the National Register of Historic Places in Virginia
- National Historic Landmarks in Virginia
- Octagonal buildings in the United States
- Buildings and structures in Virginia Beach, Virginia
- Lighthouses completed in 1792
- Lighthouses completed in 1881
- Museums in Virginia Beach, Virginia
- Historic Civil Engineering Landmarks
- Lighthouse museums in Virginia
- National Historic Landmark lighthouses
- National Register of Historic Places in Virginia Beach, Virginia