Cape Henry Lighthouses
The Cape Henry Lighthouses are a pair of lighthouses at Cape Henry, the landform marking the southern entrance to Chesapeake Bay in the U.S. state of Virginia. The location 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 bay. The original lighthouse was the first 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. Both towers of the light station were designated a National Historic Landmark in 1970.
Cape Henry Lighthouse | |
The new and old lighthouses at Cape Henry | |
| Location | Virginia Beach, Virginia |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 36°55′32″N 76°0′30″W |
| Built | Old Lighthouse, 1792; New lighthouse, 1881 |
| Architect | Federal Government |
| MPS | Light Stations of the United States MPS |
| NRHP reference No. | 66000910, 02001439 |
| VLR No. | 134-0007, 134-0079 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | October 15, 1966, December 2, 2002 |
| Designated NHL | April 15, 1970 |
| Designated VLR | September 9, 1969, September 10, 2003 |