Screwpiles: The Forgotten Lighthouses

The 1930 chart exhibits an added level of sophistication and depth of detail for the mariner.

Shown are military anchorages, city and town details, the Pig Point depot, lighthouses, buoys, and channel markers. The channel depth for the Elizabeth River to the Naval Yard at Portsmouth is now dredged to 37 feet.

Craney Island is now a fuel depot, and the original shape of the island has disappeared. Craney Island is still shown as a quarantine station.

Fast-forward to the Hampton Roads 2017 chart and you can see the contrast from past to present. There is an enormous amount of information on the chart, including details of shorelines, piers and structures, and all navigational aids.

The controlling depths of all channels are listed. Hampton Roads approaches are now dredged to 50 feet.

The only remaining lighthouses still in use are Old Point Comfort, showing a flashing red light at 12-second intervals with a white sector, and Middle Ground Light, which exhibits a flashing red light at 10-second intervals.

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