Assateague Lighthouse
Why it's listed
Rising from a marshy peninsula at the south end of Assateague Island, this round brick lighthouse stands 129 feet from ground level to light and is now painted in red and white horizontal bands. Its walls are laid in running bond outside and header bond inside, and a cast iron spiral stair winds around a central post marked "Barbier and Fenestre, Paris, 1866." A small brick entrance building and an oil house complete the station. Congress funded a first lighthouse here in 1831, lit by January 1833, but it was too low and its light too weak to guide ships past the shoals. Funds for a replacement came in 1859, construction paused during the Civil War, and the new tower was lit on October 1, 1867, with its stair and light mechanism imported from France. It still serves as a navigational aid and is valued as a fine mid-nineteenth century example, the only one of its period left in Virginia.
Significance in brief: The nomination describes it as a handsome example of mid-nineteenth century lighthouse construction and the only one of that period surviving in Virginia. It replaced an earlier 1833 tower that proved too low and too weak to warn ships of dangerous shoals.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 73001989, listed June 4, 1973. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | S of Chincoteague at S end of Assateague Island, Chincoteague |
|---|---|
| County | Accomack County |
| Listed | June 4, 1973 |
| Reference number | 73001989 |
| Resource type | Structure |
| Period of significance | 19th Century (specific date 1867) |
| Areas of significance | Transportation, Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still maintained as an active nautical aid; the original lamp was replaced by an automatic lantern, and the old lamp is on display at the site. Condition is marked good, and the tower is unaltered on its original site. |
| Acreage | 9.9 |
| Within district | Assateague Beach Coast Guard Station |
| Coordinates | 37.86373, -75.36798 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For a publicly owned building or structure, listing mainly matters when federal funds, permits or licences are involved: projects then go through Section 106 review so effects on the property are considered. Listing also strengthens applications for preservation grants and, for leased income-producing uses, can enable the federal rehabilitation tax credit.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 73001989.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q4808548
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.