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The first lighthouse in the state was erected in 1792 (the first Cape Henry Light) and it is the oldest surviving structure; the last, Chesapeake Light, was built in 1965 (ignoring automated towers erected later). The tallest extant tower is that at Cape Charles Light.
NameImageLocationCoordinates1833 [3] (First) 1867 [3] (Current)182918811868 [5]- Best Lighthouses in Virginia – The List
- Map of Lighthouses in Virginia
- How Many Lighthouses Are in Virginia?
- Eastern Shore Lighthouses
- Chesapeake Bay and Virginia Beach Lighthouses
- Unique Virginia Lighthouses
Here is a quick list of the lighthouses in Virginia that are covered in this guide: 1. Cape Charles Lighthouse 2. Assateague Lighthouse 3. Old Point Comfort Lighthouse 4. New Point Comfort Lighthouse 5. Old Cape Henry Lighthouse 6. New Cape Henry Lighthouse 7. Jones Point Lighthouse
We have marked all of the VA lighthouses mentioned in this post into a map for your own planning. As you can see, all lighthouses are along the coast except for Jones Point, which is a river lighthouse in the Potomac. You can visit these lighthouses as day trips from Richmond, Virginia Beach, or maybe a long day trip from Washington DC.
Well, it really depends. There are several that are off the coast and inaccessible but still fall into ‘Virginia waters’. I don’t really count them as lighthouses. So, for the sake of the creation of this guide, we will say that there are 7 lighthouses in Virginia.
Cape Charles Lighthouse
Location:Smith Island off the coast of Cape Charles (Eastern Shore) Located on Smith Island at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay, Cape Charles Lighthouse is the tallest lighthouse in the state of Virginia and the second tallest one in the United States. The massive and impressive lighthouse was the replacement of the 55-foot (17 m) tall, old Cape Charles Lighthouse that was built with the order of Congress in 1828. The new Cape Charles Lighthouse, again by the Congress order, was constructed in...
Assateague Lighthouse
Location:Chincoteague (Eastern Shore) Erected in 1867 from red brick, the 142-foot-tall (43 m) Assateague Lighthouse is located on Virginia’s Eastern Shore on beautiful Assateague Island in Chincoteague. It belongs to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service which has been keeping the lighthouse in operation until today. The lighthouse was fully automated in 1933. It was built as a replacement to an old, 45-foot-tall (14 m) that was significantly shorter than the then-new one and was not fully serving...
Old Point Comfort Lighthouse
Location:Fort Monroe in Hampton The second oldest lighthouse in the bay and the oldest lighthouse that is still in operation is Old Point Comfort Lighthouse is located on Fort Monroe’s grounds in Hampton, Virginia. This Virginia lighthouse is of great historical value to the state and the lighthouse is included on the National Register of Historic Places. The old lighthouse was constructed in 1803 by Elzy Burroughs and is 54 feet (16.5 meters) tall, and it became fully automated more than one...
New Point Comfort Lighthouse
Location:Off the middle peninsula at Port Haywood (Mathews county) New Point Comfort is photogenic and epic looking because of its location. The New Point Comfort Lighthouse is situated a the tip of the Middle Peninsula on the lower part of the Chesapeake Bay in VA. Separated from Mathews County, the New Point Comfort Lighthouse is located 21 miles, or 34 kilometers, away from the Old Point Comfort Lighthouse. The construction of the lighthouse began in 1803 and was finished in 1805 and is 59...
Cape Henry Lighthouse
Location:Fort Story (VA Beach and Norfolk) The old Cape Henry Lighthouse was built in 1792 by the US government due to the demanding necessity to help navigate heavy traffic from ships coming and going in the area. An interesting fact about the old Cape Henry Lighthouse is that it was officially the first federal project that was built under the Consitution that the US Government authorized and the cost of the tower, including the lighthouse, was $17,700 and one of the main architects was Joh...
Jones Point Lighthouse
Location:Alexandria on the Potomac River If you are looking for things to do in Alexandria, definitely check out Jones Point Lighthouse, a river lighthouse that is situated in a scenic spot in Northern Virginia. The small, one-story Jones Point Lighthouse has a lantern on top that resembles a house more than a traditional lighthouse. It was built in 1856 and the primary material that was used for construction was wood. It was mostly operating as a lighthouse with a mission to warn the naval s...
Old Point Comfort Light is a lighthouse located on the grounds of Fort Monroe in the Virginia portion of the Chesapeake Bay. It is the second oldest light in the bay and the oldest still in use. The lighthouse is owned and maintained by the U.S. Coast Guard and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places . Old Point Comfort Lighthouse.
May 5, 2021 · History: The original lighthouse was constructed in 1833 at a cost of approximately $55,000. In 1860, construction on a taller, more powerfully illuminated brick lighthouse began, but was delayed by the Civil War. Following the war, construction resumed and the lighthouse was completed in 1867.
Pages in category "Lighthouses on the National Register of Historic Places in Virginia" The following 10 pages are in this category, out of 10 total. This list may not reflect recent changes.
A lightship was anchored offshore to mark the entrance to Chesapeake Bay until the Union captured Virginia’s eastern shore and re-established the light at Cape Charles on December 12, 1861.
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The Chesapeake Bay fared better than much of the country in terms of quality of construction largely due to a builder named John Donahoo of Havre de Grace, MD. Between the years of 1823 and 1853 Donahoo built the majority of lighthouses on the Bay.
