13. Cape Henry Lighthouse was the first project of the federal government under the Constitution
The Virginia Capes of Henry and Charles are the north and south entrances into the Chesapeake Bay, with Cape Henry being the location where the Jamestown settlers first came ashore in the New World. In 1792 the construction of a lighthouse on Cape Henry was considered so critical to the growth of the new nation by its new government that a contract was let out to build one, the first federal construction project launched by the United States government. The lighthouse was built of native sandstone, with a diameter of 26 feet at its base, rising to a height of 90 feet. Like most of America it was traumatized by the Civil War, damaged by Confederate soldiers when they withdrew before Union troops, and by Union prisoners who had been held there. Union soldiers repaired the damage and restored the light, which was needed by the Union fleet.
In 1870 the tower was struck by lightning and concerns over the stability of the nearly eighty year old lighthouse led to the construction of second lighthouse nearby. The taller tower was completed in 1881, a little more than 100 yards from its predecessor, which remained standing. The newer lighthouse stands almost sixty feet taller than the original lighthouse, and possessed a more powerful lamp. It was fully automated in 1983 and remains as a navigational beacon, though the more modern means of navigation render it more or less useful only to recreational boaters and sailors. The original Cape Henry Lighthouse was stabilized and remains open to the public, with a wrought iron staircase to the top for those willing to make the climb. While both lighthouses were remotely located when built, they are contained within the city of Virginia Beach today.
