The 4th of the 8th

I always get lost there!

Places with names like Hampton Roads, which is really not a road.  Newport News which is really not a newspaper.  Portsmouth which should really be in New Hampshire and not Virginia, but I guess there are at least two.  Virginia Beach, known locally as Ginny Beach.  Hampton which is not "The Hamptons" of Long Island.  Different family I guess.  Road signs which say north when they really go south.  East when they go West.  Chesapeake which is about a ton of miles away from "The" Chesapeake.  Then ya got the Atlantic Ocean, Chesapeake Bay, the James River and Norfolk.  All rather confusing even to the lady that squawks from that little box on my dash board. 

But somewhere across from the famous Navy Yards, on a little spit of land just north east of Interstate 64 lies Fort Monroe and a rather sedate lighthouse called Old Point Comfort.

  New Point Comfort lies about thirty miles north just above Mobjack Bay and is nothing more than a stone tower on a pile of rip rap.

So, the Old light of the same name seems to be a bit more interesting, seen here in a 1906 post card.

It had not changed to much by 1930, but we did get to see the Naval fleet cruising by.

My image made in the early 2000's shows the light tower painted green.  I somehow was capable of finding the place which is a great part of photographing these items of marine history and they actually allowed me on the base.  Unlike Cape Canaveral where I never got past the front gate. (Three times)  I guess my reputation preceded me.

Old Point Comfort Lighthouse

The touring public can view this bay side sentinel, located at Fort Monroe, at the entrance to Hampton Roads.  Completed in 1802 this stone tower is the second oldest lighthouse on the Bay.  The lighthouse was briefly captured by the British in 1812 and was used as a watchtower.  The preservation of this light is partly due to the care taken by its keepers, but also because it was built far enough from the water as to not be scared by erosion.

This stone tower is 54 feet high and exhibits a red flashing light powered by a photoelectric cell, as are most of the lights on the bay.  A fog bell clangs every ten seconds in foul weather, but has been moved 200 yards away from the tower.

Now for folks like me that are Atlas Road Map challenged, here are some driving instructions.   

From Interstate 64 in Hampton VA, take Rt. 351 (Pembroke Ave.) east until you reach Mercury Blvd., where you will go south.  Follow Mercury Blvd. until it becomes South Water Street and you enter Fort Monroe.  The light is located on the south shore of Fort Monroe.

If that doesn't work, just get off of Rt. 64 and look for signs to "Kansas".