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| Assateague Island Lighthouse The first Assateague Island lighthouse was built in 1833 closer to the seashore then it stands today. This original site now sits less then a mile from the beach. This lighthouse was replaced less then forty years later due to its construction and the weathering processes associated with living by the ocean. In 1866, it was razed and the present day lighthouse began construction. The present lighthouse was completed in 1867 after a couple years delay due to the Civil War. In it's construction, some materials were on site; the lime was made of crushed oyster shells, but the stone and bricks were dragged by oxen. The lighthouse stands at 142 feet tall, 27 feet across with the walls being at least 22 inches thick. The lantern was 20,000 candlepower and was fueled by whale oil then by kerosene, and was converted into electricity in 1932. In 1869 the abundance of waterfowl forced the light keeper to install wire screens to prevent the birds from flying into the light. Presently the lighthouses light flashes with 800,000 candlepower and is painted red and white to make it more visible in the day. The lighthouse is open only on the weekends from Easter to Thanksgiving but you can walk up and around the light anytime. Assateague Island Village Assateague Island was originally inhabited by the Indians ruled by Chief Kegatank and Emperor Waskawampe. A village of new settlers began to take shape around the first lighthouse in the mid 1800's but never grew like the nearby island of Chincoteague. There were about 200 people living on Assateague, the men were all watermen and the women stayed home and worked in the gardens. There was a school, chapel, and general store. The people lived very primitively, with the building only to shelter them from the weather; there was no electricity, running water, no floors, few windows and fireplaces that were vented from a cut hole in the roofs. The villagers was self-sufficient, caring for one another if there was sickness, or is some had no work; it was a tight knit community. Eventually the village was cut off when private owners denied access to the Tom's Cove area and the harvest. The village was simply abandoned. The lighthouse is still the only thing standing, from that time; there are great pictures of the village and inhabitants of Assateague at the Refuge Visitor Center. |
Notes: HomeOfficial Trail Guide Web Site The Other Historic Site Guides: Historic Site Guide Central Eastern Shore - Wallop's Island to QuinbyHistoric Site Guide Northampton - Willis Wharf to Eastern Shore Wildlife Refuge
The Trail was developed by the Accomack -
Northampton Planning District Commission in cooperation with Accomack County,
Northampton County, the Town of Chincoteague, the Town of Wachapreague, the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and
the Virginia Coastal Zone Management Program. It is a project of Virginia's Seaside Heritage Program,
a multi-year effort to restore living resources and promote sustainable ecotourism
on the Eastern Shore of Virginia. |
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