THE VIEW FROM THE TOP
AT THE CAPE OF HENRY
IN VIRGINIA
Chesapeake Bay & Atlantic Ocean
Fort Story, Virginia Beach, Virginia
The old tower at Cape Henry is the only one of the two that you can climb. It is a pretty tight squeeze to get through the trap door to the light room at the top. The climb is worth the effort as the view of the bay and the ocean is panaramic and the fort is pretty inspiring. The old tower is located on an overgrown hump of sand and is once again a wonderous thing when you think of the construction techniques of the times when these things were built. The accompanying photos show the new black and white tower on the bottom and the old tower next to the bottom. The depth of the walls of the old tower is shown in the next two photos and the view from the light room of the old tower towards the new is on the top.
Capes Henry and Charles in Virginia at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay were named after the two sons of King James of England. The first lighthouse on the Chesapeake Bay was erected on Cape Henry in 1792 at a cost of $15,200, most likely an outrageous sum for that time. The sandstone tower is 90 feet tall and a local man, Laban Gossigan, became the first keeper.
The Virginia Governor offered President Washington assistance in erecting a tower at the current site. It seems that a certain amount of materials were placed at that location by the state and they would be available for the construction by the Federal government. Blowing and shifting sands had buried the building materials and they had to be replaced. The contract to build the tower was signed by Alexander Hamilton and awarded to an New York brick layer, John McComb, Jr.
During the Civil War the Confederates destroyed the lantern, only to be replaced in 1863. A military guard was placed at the light until the end of the war. By 1872 cracks appeared in the walls and the Lighthouse Board recommended it be replaced. By 1879 construction on the new tower had begun. Despite the cracks, the old tower still stands to this day.
The Lighthouse Board ordered the replacement of the tower and the new one was completed in 1881 at a cost of $125,000. Like the Cape Charles light, this southern beacon was fitted with a huge first order Fresnel lens. Not just a bay light, but an offshore sentinel for all shipping entering the bay and as such required the largest of lights. In 1929, this beacon became the first radio-distance-finding station. The light flashes the dot-dot-dash pattern of the letter “U” at 80,000 candlepower.
Cape Charles on the Eastern Shore is a boat ride and you have to do some looking to hire a boat. Start your search for such a boat at a place called "Stingrays" on Route 13 North around Cape Charles. It is a gas station /restaurant/local center for what's happening in the area. Once you have seen the Cape Charles lighthouse, there is not a whole lot to do on the Eastern Shore but going west and crossing the bay bridge is a real treat.
AT THE CAPE OF HENRY
IN VIRGINIA
Chesapeake Bay & Atlantic Ocean
Fort Story, Virginia Beach, Virginia
The old tower at Cape Henry is the only one of the two that you can climb. It is a pretty tight squeeze to get through the trap door to the light room at the top. The climb is worth the effort as the view of the bay and the ocean is panaramic and the fort is pretty inspiring. The old tower is located on an overgrown hump of sand and is once again a wonderous thing when you think of the construction techniques of the times when these things were built. The accompanying photos show the new black and white tower on the bottom and the old tower next to the bottom. The depth of the walls of the old tower is shown in the next two photos and the view from the light room of the old tower towards the new is on the top.
Capes Henry and Charles in Virginia at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay were named after the two sons of King James of England. The first lighthouse on the Chesapeake Bay was erected on Cape Henry in 1792 at a cost of $15,200, most likely an outrageous sum for that time. The sandstone tower is 90 feet tall and a local man, Laban Gossigan, became the first keeper.
The Virginia Governor offered President Washington assistance in erecting a tower at the current site. It seems that a certain amount of materials were placed at that location by the state and they would be available for the construction by the Federal government. Blowing and shifting sands had buried the building materials and they had to be replaced. The contract to build the tower was signed by Alexander Hamilton and awarded to an New York brick layer, John McComb, Jr.
During the Civil War the Confederates destroyed the lantern, only to be replaced in 1863. A military guard was placed at the light until the end of the war. By 1872 cracks appeared in the walls and the Lighthouse Board recommended it be replaced. By 1879 construction on the new tower had begun. Despite the cracks, the old tower still stands to this day.
The Lighthouse Board ordered the replacement of the tower and the new one was completed in 1881 at a cost of $125,000. Like the Cape Charles light, this southern beacon was fitted with a huge first order Fresnel lens. Not just a bay light, but an offshore sentinel for all shipping entering the bay and as such required the largest of lights. In 1929, this beacon became the first radio-distance-finding station. The light flashes the dot-dot-dash pattern of the letter “U” at 80,000 candlepower.
Cape Charles on the Eastern Shore is a boat ride and you have to do some looking to hire a boat. Start your search for such a boat at a place called "Stingrays" on Route 13 North around Cape Charles. It is a gas station /restaurant/local center for what's happening in the area. Once you have seen the Cape Charles lighthouse, there is not a whole lot to do on the Eastern Shore but going west and crossing the bay bridge is a real treat.
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