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Cape Henry Lighthouses

1881 establishments in VirginiaBuildings and structures in Virginia Beach, VirginiaHistoric Civil Engineering LandmarksJohn McComb Jr. buildingsLighthouses completed in 1792
Lighthouses completed in 1881Lighthouses on the National Register of Historic Places in VirginiaNational Historic Landmark lighthousesNational Historic Landmarks in VirginiaNational Register of Historic Places in Virginia Beach, VirginiaOctagonal buildings in the United States
Fort Story lighthouses
Fort Story 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.

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article Cape Henry Lighthouses (License: CC BY-SA 3.0, Authors, Images).

Cape Henry Lighthouses
Atlantic Avenue, Virginia Beach

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Wikipedia: Cape Henry LighthousesContinue reading on Wikipedia

Geographical coordinates (GPS)

Latitude Longitude
N 36.925555555556 ° E -76.008333333333 °
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Address

Old Cape Henry Lighthouse

Atlantic Avenue 583
23459 Virginia Beach
Virginia, United States
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Fort Story lighthouses
Fort Story lighthouses
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First Landing State Park
First Landing State Park

First Landing State Park (formerly Seashore State Park) offers recreational opportunities at Cape Henry in the independent city of Virginia Beach, Virginia. As the first planned state park of Virginia, First Landing is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as Seashore State Park Historic District. A portion of the park is listed as a National Natural Landmark as part of the Seashore Natural Area. The state park is near the site of the first landing on April 26, 1607 of Christopher Newport and the Virginia Company colonists before establishing themselves at Jamestown. The park includes cabins, areas for camping, fishing, and swimming, a public beach, and over 19 miles (31 km) of trails for hiking and biking. Virginia's most popular state park, it's visited by over a million people each year. Its main entrance is located on Shore Drive across from the beach camping entrance. First Landing State Park charges a fee for its camping facilities and for the overnight use of its cabins. Originally built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s, First Landing State Park is located on the Chesapeake Bay. The park, which is Virginia's most visited state park, is nestled in Virginia Beach. First Landing offers boating, swimming, nature and history programs, hiking, biking, picnicking, a boat launch, cabins and 19 miles (31 km) of trails on 2,888 acres (11.69 km2). It also has campsites that have water and electric hook-ups and nearby access to restrooms and showers. The park's name was changed in 1997 from Seashore State Park to First Landing State Park to reflect its heritage as the first place where members of the Virginia Company landed (though its former name is still commonly used by Tidewater locals).