Cape Henry Lighthouse

It is fun to have an opportunity to write about a recent visit to the Cape Henry Lighthouse.   As you are aware, the name of this blog is The-Light-Keeper.   I began the blog because of our love for lighthouses and all the times we have been keepers at the New Dungeness Lighthouse.   At least seven or eight times we were keepers at NDSL for a week, giving tours, painting, doing chores and relaxing.  The first time we went our girls were in kindergarten and the last time I think they were in high school.  It is an amazing place to stay for a week.  My favorite memories are of sitting on the porch in the evening breeze, quilting and sipping a latte. There is nothing like being at the end of a six mile sand spit and having it all to yourselves!  I went back and looked at this blog and in 2006 in March we last stayed there.   Now our daughters are grown and one is in the Army at Fort Story, Virginia.  She lives only a five minute walk from the Cape Henry Lighthouses, Old and New and spends hours each week on the beach there.  The first evening we were there we took a walk down the boardwalk to the beach.  We came across a cute little guy below on our way to the beach and shortly after seeing him took the photo above where Dad and daughter added interest to the lighthouses. 

The first Cape Henry Lighthouse was built in 1791 and '92 and went into service in 1792.  It was the first lighthouse built by the new Congress of the United States.  On the tour we learned that even President Washington was involved in getting this lighthouse authorized and built.

  In the late 1800's the new Fresnel lens technology resulted in a light that was too large for the original lighthouse and so the new one was built.  The old light was decommissioned and the new light went into service. 

We took the opportunity while she was working to visit the older lighthouse.  The new one is operating and remains under the management of the US Coast Guard and so is not usually available for tours.  We got in line to pay the visitor fee of $8 and a woman behind us in line had an extra pre-paid ticket and so offered to cover one of our admissions!  So Vera, thank you very much should you come across this blog!  Here is Vera and her son posing in front of the  stairs to the entry of the  lighthouse for my "thank you" photo! 

Originally the sand went to almost the top of the steps now, just two white bricks showed above the sand.  We were also told that the foundation went about as far below as the white part is above.  In addition, the original stones that were delivered slowly sank into the sand and the builder knew it would take too much effort to dig them out again so they actually provide a secondary foundation below the formal one.

This is the top of the lighthouse where previously the light would have been.  From the top looking down we see the last ladder and the landing before the final ladder. 

 The blue plaque notes that this is the remaining original wall to the lighthouse that can be seen and admonishes us not to touch it!

The tight spiral stairs of a lighthouse evokes so many wonderful associations from our lighthouse visits around the country.

Out of the windows at the top of the old Cape Henry Lighthouse one can see the new Cape Henry Lighthouse, the beach where sail the ships of the world, and our daughter's abode in the distance.

 The beach right here is named Cape Henry because this is where the men and women of the first Jamestown settlement came ashore and thanked God for a safe journey across the fearsome Atlantic Ocean.  A few days later they moved on to establish Jamestown.  Cape Henry was named for Henry, Prince of Wales at the time.   

 Home sweet home for one of our family!  And I am happy to say not me!

The photo of the new Cape Henry Lighthouse above is taken from the top of the old light.  The photos below are taken from the ground. 

 The "new" Cape Henry Lighthouse

 The active Coast Guard area on Fort Story.  Note the year of 1889 above the door on the entrance to the lighthouse when it was commissioned and it is still in operation.

I forget how many miles the old Cape Henry light could be seen -- I think it was either 15 or 17 miles visibility.  Through the glass window you can see the first order Fresnel lens that shines 20+ miles out to sea and which was too large to operate at the top of the old lighthouse. 

After leaving the light houses, we joined up with our daughter and again spent some time at the beach and then visited the memorial to the landing of the James town settlers and looked out over the beach from the park.   

Here we are at the end of a fun day visiting the Cape Henry light.  And of course, being the well trained former Coastie and current soldier that they are, they both immediately stopped as required by protocol when the colors were being lowered for the day.

God bless America!

And as the evening darkens, the light shines out bringing comfort to families whose loved ones sail the seas and leading those loved ones safely home.