Destination Virginia takes us to the very 1st Public Works project in the United States. Billy Simmons, Historic Interpreter, reflects on the importance of having a lighthouse at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay. “A lot of shipwrecks were happening here” says Simmons. And further, the lighthouse was also vital “to help Mariners get in and out of the ports of Norfolk and Baltimore.”
First lit in 1792, names behind this historic lighthouse include President George Washington who appointed the contractor and first light keeper, and Alexander Hamilton who oversaw the construction. Hear about the climb, the views, and its replacement in this segment of Destination Virginia.
