Cape Henry Lighthouse

The legacy of colonialism in the United States is strong. It has come in many different shapes and sizes, documented in our past and felt in our present. We must learn to talk about it. English colonialism in the Americas started here on the shores of Cape Henry. Landing on this beach, the English colonists invaded a territory that had been home to Native peoples such as Chesapeake and Nansemond for centuries.

Over many centuries, lighthouse technology has continuously evolved and improved. Although the earliest known lighthouse dates to the Egyptians in 280 B.C., European style lenses were first invented in 1810 and consisted of thick, poor quality glass that gave the beams of many lighthouses a ‘muddy’ appearance.

As this year’s Preservation Month draws to a close, we wanted to take a moment to reflect inward on our own organization, and the amazing people we have who make our physical preservation of historic sites possible. Cape Henry Lighthouse site coordinator Rachel Balderson took the time to interview Eric to find out what it takes to become someone with the desire and know-how to do this kind of work.

The cast-iron spiral steps at Old Cape Henry Lighthouse were installed in 1867 to replace the original wooden stairs from 1792. For the past century, that spiral stair has been painted black, but it wasn’t always that color.

Many initials and names have been carved into the exterior of the Old Cape Henry Lighthouse throughout its 227 years.

Willis Augustus Hodges served as the first African American lighthouse keeper at the Cape Henry Lighthouse from May 10 to July 26, 1870. Willis Augustus Hodges was born in Blackwater, Virginia, modern-day Virginia Beach, on February 12, 1815. He was born a free black man to a family of well-off farmers.