Cape Henry Lighthouses, Virginia
- Finished block size 12" W x 12" H
- Cotton fabrics, ribbon, thread sketching and inked details, cotton batting
- Machine pieced, appliquéd, and quilted
History of the Cape Henry Lighthouses
The Old Cape Henry Lighthouse is the oldest still standing on the Chesapeake Bay, and the third oldest in the U. S.
The Colonies and the British bickered for 70 years over erecting a lighthouse at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay. The new United States quickly accomplished the task.
The tower is 92 feet high, built of sandstone, and was lined with brick in 1857.
Confederates destroyed the lamp and lens during the Civil War. Major cracks were found in the walls in 1872, causing fears of imminent collapse. A distinctive black-and-white iron replacement tower was built 357 feet away in 1881. It is 170 feet high.
In 1929 it became the first radio-distance-finding lighthouse in the world. The Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities acquired the old lighthouse in 1930 as a commemoration of the first landing of the English in Virginia.