Virginia lighthouses are beautiful historic sites that can be enjoyed along the coastline. Some of these lighthouses are open for tours with nearby Bed & Breakfasts or camping. Other lighthouse are said to be haunted and some are no longer standing. For example: the “Cottage Screwpile Lighthouses” used on Chesapeake Bay are gone, however, replicas have been built to remind us of these important buildings. There is a large variety of lighthouses in Virginia, some hundreds of years old and some fairly new.
Many of the lighthouses were built in the 1800s. The earliest known lighthouse was the Cape Henry (1), which was built in 1792. Cape Henry (1) became inactive in 1881 when Cape Henry (2) was built. New Point Comfort in Mathews County is another antique lighthouse. It was built in 1806, was inactive for a number of years and then reactivated in 1999. It is privately owned and there are kayak tours available.
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The Stingray Point lighthouse in Middlesex County is an example of a newer lighthouse. It was built in 2003 as a tribute or replica of an 1858 lighthouse. However, today this lighthouse is inactive, but it serves as a museum which is open daily and an office for the Stingray Point Marina.
One of the most interesting lighthouses in Virginia is the Rappahannock Shoal Channel South Range. The lighthouse was built in 1991 and does not look like a traditional lighthouse. However, it is the second tallest lighthouse in the United States.
Plan a trip or stop by one of these glorious lighthouses next time you visit Virginia.
