Photo by H. C. Mann 

 THE OED AND NEW LIGHTHOUSES I CAPE HENRY, VIRGINIA 



The old lighthouse at Cape Henry has the distinction of being the first light built by 

 the young government of the United States. It served as a beacon for vessels entering from 

 the ocean through Cape Charles and Cape Henry for nearly a hundred years. Note how 

 the beach has traveled seaward in a century, leaving the old lighthouse high and dry on its 

 solid hill, the bottom of which was, at one time, the records show, swept by the tides. 



fords an excellent opportunity to study 

 the battle royal between the sea, the 

 winds, and the sands, and it is remark- 

 able also for the weird beauty of its storm- 

 buffeted beach, extending in broken 

 masses of sand as far as the eye can 

 reach, picked out here and there along 

 the land edge by gnarled and stunted 

 trees, beach grass, and hardy shrubs, 

 which make a brave fight against the 

 ever-encroaching enemy. 



Cape Henry dates back to the early 

 years of the sixteenth century, when a 

 brave little fleet of three vessels, the 

 largest being only ioo tons and the small- 

 est less than 15, set sail from London, 

 under the command cf Capt. Christopher 

 Newport, for the West Indies. En- 

 countering great storms on their lonely 

 journey of months upon the angry At- 

 lantic, the voyagers finally won their way 

 to a landfall and entered the Chesapeake, 

 to find a well-deserved resting place 

 at Roanoke Island, the early English set- 

 tlement. They decided, however, to stop 

 midway, and high on the beach where 



they landed a wooden cross was erected 

 in thanksgiving for their safe arrival, and 

 the little band took possession of the 

 territory in the name of their country, 

 calling the spot "Cape Henry" in honor 

 of the Prince of Wales and brother of 

 Charles the First, their king. Later they 

 crossed the bay to another and more 

 sheltered harbor, naming the place for 

 that reason "Point Comfort," which is 

 today known to thousands of travelers 

 who throughout the year delight in its 

 remarkable climate and healthful sur- 

 roundings, its splendid hotel accommoda- 

 tions and safe harbor, as Fortress Mon- 

 roe and its guns guard the entrance from 

 the sea. 



At Cape Henry in 1791 was erected 

 the first lighthouse built by the young 

 United States government, a great tower 

 of rough-hewn stone, which was indeed a 

 welcome sight to storm-tossed mariners 

 coming in from the broad Atlantic 

 through the 14-mile entrance between 

 the Capes, Henry and Charles. After 

 many years of faithful service the an- 



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