Cape Henlopen Light
Encyclopedia
Cape Henlopen Light was a lighthouse
in Delaware
, United States
, on the north side of the Great Dune on Cape Henlopen
, Delaware
. It was the sixth lighthouse built in the colonies.
. The wardens repaired the damage and it was relighted in 1784. In 1897 the sand dune surrounding the tower was reported to be steadily blowing away at a rate of 3 to 5 feet (1.5 m) a year. In 1905 several tons of brush were placed about the tower and oil house to prevent the foundations and brick walls from being undermined by the drifting away of the sand. All measures to protect the tower failed, and in 1926 a storm undermined the tower and caused it to fall seaward.
Another light also once stood on Cape Henlopen. In 1824, the Cape Henlopen Beacon was constructed on a 45 feet (13.7 m) tower about a mile north of the Cape Henlopen Lighthouse. There is no record of what happened to the Beacon.
-era watchtowers that now are found on the Great Dune in the same location where the lighthouse once stood. Prints of "First Light" are considered rare.
Lighthouse
A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses or, in older times, from a fire, and used as an aid to navigation for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways....
in Delaware
Delaware
Delaware is a U.S. state located on the Atlantic Coast in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It is bordered to the south and west by Maryland, and to the north by Pennsylvania...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, on the north side of the Great Dune on Cape Henlopen
Cape Henlopen
Cape Henlopen is the southern cape of the Delaware Bay along the Atlantic coast of the United States. It lies in the state of Delaware, near the town of Lewes, Delaware...
, Delaware
Delaware
Delaware is a U.S. state located on the Atlantic Coast in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It is bordered to the south and west by Maryland, and to the north by Pennsylvania...
. It was the sixth lighthouse built in the colonies.
History
Cape Henlopen Lighthouse was completed in 1767 and was built on the north side of the Great Dune to obtain additional height. In 1777, the lighthouse was almost completely burned down by the BritishUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. The wardens repaired the damage and it was relighted in 1784. In 1897 the sand dune surrounding the tower was reported to be steadily blowing away at a rate of 3 to 5 feet (1.5 m) a year. In 1905 several tons of brush were placed about the tower and oil house to prevent the foundations and brick walls from being undermined by the drifting away of the sand. All measures to protect the tower failed, and in 1926 a storm undermined the tower and caused it to fall seaward.
Another light also once stood on Cape Henlopen. In 1824, the Cape Henlopen Beacon was constructed on a 45 feet (13.7 m) tower about a mile north of the Cape Henlopen Lighthouse. There is no record of what happened to the Beacon.
In popular culture
The painting "First Light", by Lewes, Delaware native artist Abraxas, depicts dawn on the last night of operation of the old Cape Henlopen Lighthouse. This is the companion painting to the artist's other great work, "Look Out", which depicts the World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
-era watchtowers that now are found on the Great Dune in the same location where the lighthouse once stood. Prints of "First Light" are considered rare.