Nomination Form
Few buildings more appropriately merit the term landmark than lighthouses. These singular structures stand as conspicuous and necessary focal points along the nation’s coasts. The red and white, festively banded Assateague Lighthouse has operated as a nautical guide for the south end of Assateague Island in Accomack County since it was first lighted on October 1, 1867, replacing an earlier but inadequate tower built in 1831. Standing 129 feet from base to light, the lighthouse is built of brick with tapered walls. Its original light mechanism, a Fresnel lens, imported from France, has been replaced by a modern automatic system. The Fresnel lens is now on display at the Oyster and Maritime Museum in the town of Chincoteague. The Assateague Lighthouse is maintained by the U.S. Coast Guard.
Many properties listed in the registers are private dwellings and are not open to the public, however many are visible from the public right-of-way. Please be respectful of owner privacy.
Abbreviations:
VLR: Virginia Landmarks Register
NPS: National Park Service
NRHP: National Register of Historic Places
NHL: National Historic Landmark
Programs
DHR has secured permanent legal protection for over 700 historic places - including 15,000 acres of battlefield lands
DHR has erected 2,532 highway markers in every county and city across Virginia
DHR has registered more than 3,317 individual resources and 613 historic districts
DHR has engaged over 450 students in 3 highway marker contests
DHR has stimulated more than $4.2 billion dollars in private investments related to historic tax credit incentives, revitalizing communities of all sizes throughout Virginia
