Old Cape Henry Lighthouse, a beacon of history

The Old Cape Henry Lighthouse stands as a silent sentry at one of our nation's most historic spots - the entrance of the Chesapeake Bay.

The shining beacon became a guidepost for mariners in October 1792 when its whale oil lamps were first fired atop the octagonal sandstone structure. It remained operational for 90 years, and its image adorns the Virginia Beach city seal.

"It was the first federal project of the United States government, commissioned by George Washington in the first session of the first Congress, Aug. 7, 1789," said John Starling.

He has climbed the 191 steps from the base of the hill to the lantern room many times to take in the view.

"Cape Henry is the point where the colonization of our nation began and the downfall of the British rule of the Colonies," he said. "It led to our independence."

Starling, 70, has worked at the lighthouse 34 years, starting as a volunteer after retiring from the Navy after 20 years. In 1995 he became the site coordinator for Preservation Virginia, the nonprofit group that maintains the lighthouse. He is always ready to serve a helping of history.

"The sandstone the lighthouse is constructed from came from the Aquia and Rappahannock quarries here in the commonwealth," he said, "which were the same quarries the Capitol, the White House and Mount Vernon were constructed from."

Twice a day, Starling and his staff offer walking tours of the lighthouse, along with other nearby historic sites. They include Cape Henry Memorial National Park, with its cross commemorating the landing of the Jamestown settlers on April 26, 1607, and Revolutionary War history monuments to the French blockade commanded by Adm. De Grasse that helped lead to the British surrender at Yorktown on Oct. 19, 1781. There's also the "new" Cape Henry Lighthouse, which became operational Dec. 15, 1881; St. Teresa's Chapel, circa 1924; and Mine Casemate Bunker No. 2, built in the same dune as the old lighthouse. The bunker was used to control mines preventing U-boats and raiders from entering the Bay during World War II. Because of lead paint, visitors aren't allowed to enter the bunker, but they can peek in.

The old lighthouse also has Civil War history. The tower was seized in 1861 by Confederate troops, who destroyed the lens and lamp. By 1863 it was again in Union hands and resumed active service.

When workers found cracks in the 11-foot-thick wall of the 90-foot-tall lighthouse, they feared a structural problem. So a prefabricated, cast-iron, 163-foot-tall tower was constructed nearby in 1881. Engineers later found that the cracks in the old lighthouse were superficial and caused by normal settling.

"That gives us two historical lighthouses at the same point that never served together," Starling said. "Both of these are still on the nautical charts. The old one is a day marker, and the new one is an active lighthouse."

The Coast Guard made Starling honorary keeper of the active lighthouse in 2005.

Starling likes working amid the history - he has traced his ancestors to the Watkins family that landed on Jamestown Island on Oct. 31, 1608. And he likes meeting visitors from other countries and different walks of life. "We get between 65,000 to 85,000 visitors each year," he said, "depending on gas prices."

Preservation Virginia, which maintains both lighthouses, does not receive government funding, he said. Support comes from donations and admission fees. There's also a gift shop filled with lighthouses adorning everything from hats and T-shirts to coffee cups and jewelry.

Starling often escapes to the top of the old lighthouse and gazes across the scrub-covered dunes and out over the water, imagining all that happened around him.

"It helps me relax and actually makes me proud to be an American," he said. "I love sharing history."

Roy A. Bahls, (757) 446-2351, roy.bahls@pilotonline.com