old cape henry lighthouse
The main reason for our visit to Virginia Beach was to see the lighthouses on Cape Henry. My great-great-grandfather, Jay D. Edwards, was the last keeper in the old lighthouse and the first keeper in the new lighthouse. The lighthouses are located on Fort Story at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay. When we arrived, we first visited the old Cape Henry Lighthouse.
The old lighthouse is built atop a small knoll. The picture to the right was taken from the base of the knoll.
Alexander Hamilton contracted for the construction of a lighthouse on Cape Henry in March of 1791. The lighthouse, which was the first lighthouse to be built by the new nation and the first federal work project to be completed by the new federal government, was lighted for the first time in October of 1792. It was built at a cost of $17,700.
This photo was taken from the base of the lighthouse.
The lighthouse is accessible to the public, so Rachelle and I went up inside of it.
Rachelle took this crooked photo of the New Cape Henry Lighthouse from the top of the old lighthouse.
The picture to the left was taken from a parking lot across the street from the old lighthouse. It includes the sign for the old Cape Henry Lighthouse.