New Cape Henry Lighthouse is located within Fort Story, in northern Virginia Beach. The Old Cape Henry Light is located just a few hundred yards away to the northwest. In 1872, it was determined that a more powerful beacon was required, so the New Cape Henry lighthouse was constructed to replace the old light from 1791. The 163 foot tall tower was built with prefabricted cast iron plates.
|
The interior of the tower is lined with brick, and is very similar in design to South Carolina's Hunting Island & Florida's Cape Canaveral Lights. The light was fitted with a lard oil-burning 1st order Fresnel lens, which was first lit in 1881. The still active beacon was electrified in 1923. The tower became the second lighthouse in the US to have a radio beacon in 1929. Sea Girt Light was the first.
|
