Fort Story and the Old Cape Henry Lighthouse

Just around the corner from First Landing SP is Fort Story, also known as the Joint Expeditionary Forces Base East, a sub-installation of Fort Eustis. It is also home to the Old Cape Henry Lighthouse as well as the newer lighthouse across the road.

If you read the story here:

https://preservationvirginia.org/visit/historic-properties/cape-henry-lighthouse

and get to the part where you have to show ID, can be searched, etc….believe it. You are entering an active military base that guards the waterway through the Chesapeake Bay. We spent a half-hour or more on the bay-walk at the Cape Henry Memorial Park on the base watching carriers, destroyers and subs enter and leave the Bay.

More info here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cape_Henry_Memorial

Our sentries were friendly, but professional; smiling, but not joking around.  I did find myself, howsumever, grateful that we had parked Li’l Scamp in Visitor Parking back at the campground. Opening every nook and cranny for inspection would have been a time consuming project.

The Old Lighthouse sits on property that is both private and military; neither is the historic lighthouse portion very large. The newer light sits across the parking lot on a small plot surrounded by a fence into which one is NOT allowed entrance as it is an active Coast Guard station. It’s an odd feeling to tread upon ground that lives in history both old and new. The picture at the top of this post, borrowed from Wikipedia, shows the lights side by side. It’s not a view the average tourist gets to see as you are reminded to remain on the main road and STOP at the red flashing lights. Really.

Still it was fun to view the lights, walk the memorial park along the bay and see the ships on their way to and from who knows where. The rigamarole to get in was worth it, howsumever, as we found ourselves taken not only by the fact that this is one of the oldest surviving lighthouses, but also by the job this military base does in service to this country.  That’s a truism regardless of one’s politics or feelings about our military in general and this old Viet Nam era hippie is grateful.

Up next…Assateague Island National Seashore