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Finding two old towers so close together is a rare treat for lighthouse lovers. The second Cape Henry Lighthouse was built in 1881 after large cracks were detected in the original Cape Henry Lighthouse. Still standing more than a century later, the original Cape Henry Lighthouse, built in 1792, is the third oldest in the United States and the oldest on the Chesapeake Bay.

The original lighthouse's 92-foot sandstone tower rests atop a 56-foot dune. This octagonal tower has a 26-foot diameter at its base tapering to a 16-foot diameter at the top. In 1939, this lighthouse was chosen as the site for ceremonies commemorating the sesquicentennial of the U.S. Lighthouse Service.

The newer lighthouse here also is octagonal. It is easily distinguishable from the first lighthouse by its unique color scheme: each side of the tower is half black and half white in an alternating pattern of vertical stripes. This cast-iron 156-foot tower sits almost at sea level, making it seem similar in height to the original lighthouse on the hill about 100 yards away. Now automated, it remains an important lighthouse.

These lighthouses can be visited by heading to the north end of Virginia Beach or south out of Norfolk on U.S. Highyay 60. They are in Fort Story, an active military post. The old lighthouse tower is open for visitors.

Text © 1999 Terry White, Drawing © 1999 Bill Harrah