The Chesapeake Bay : History Happened Here

Directly to the east is Cape Henry, which along with Cape Charles, define the entrance to the Chesapeake Bay. Both "old" and "new" Cape Henry lighthouses are visible. <br> In September, 1781 the waters off Cape Henry witnessed two-and-a-half hours of naval warfare. That month, America's ally France sent ships to deny an English fleet access to the Bay. This battle off the Cape allowed General George Washington to finish the siege of Yorktown, Virginia. The British Army could not be rescued. <br> The new United States government built the old Cape Henry Lighthouse in 1792, its first federal work project. The light, which cost $17,700 to construct, ensured safe sailing commerce on the Virginia and Maryland coasts. Almost 100 years later a new lighthouse was built of steel for safety reasons. It opened in 1881.