Nansemond River Light

Nansemond River Light

Undated photograph of Nansemond River Light (USCG)
Location	mouth of Nansemond River off Pig Point
Coordinates	36°54′43″N 76°26′42″W / 36.912°N 76.445°W / 36.912; -76.445Coordinates: 36°54′43″N 76°26′42″W / 36.912°N 76.445°W / 36.912; -76.445 (approx.)
Year first lit	1878
Deactivated	1935
Foundation	screw-pile
Construction	cast-iron/wood
Tower shape	square house
Height	36 ft
Original lens	sixth-order Fresnel lens (upgraded to fifth-order in 1899)

The Nansemond River Light was a screwpile lighthouse located at the confluence of the Nansemond and James rivers in Virginia.

History

This light was erected in 1878 to mark the east side of the entrance to the Nansemond River. Some parts were recycled from the old Roanoke Marshes Light, which had been replaced the previous year. Little of note is recorded about this light, though in 1915 the keeper was cited for recovering a woman's wristwatch dropped overboard. The light was an early victim of automation in 1935, and in the late 1980s the whole structure was removed, leaving no trace of the light to be seen.

References

• "Historic Light Station Information and Photography: Virginia". United States Coast Guard Historian's Office. http://www.uscg.mil/history/weblighthouses/LHVA.asp. 
• Nansemond River Light, from the Chesapeake Chapter of the United States Lighthouse Society
• de Gast, Robert (1973). The Lighthouses of the Chesapeake. Johns Hopkins University Press. p. 149. 
• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (1974). Hampton Roads (Map). 1:20,000. Chart no. 12245.