Notes:
(1) The Eleventh Lighthouse established in America*.  Old Point Comfort Light was built to mark the entrance to the Port of Hampton Roads and to guide shipping into Hampton Roads, a 4-mile long, 40-feet deep channel through which the waters of the converging James River, Nansemond River, and Elizabeth River flow into Chesapeake Bay.

      After first landing at Cape Henry on April 26, 1607, the English colonists sailed further into the Chesapeake Bay and discovered a sheltered anchorage at Cape Comfort (Old Point Comfort) where the native Indians welcomed them on April 30, 1607.  Cape or “Pointe Comfort” was named by Captain John Smith because it was “comforting” for sailors to see the mainland after an ocean crossing and entering the Chesapeake Bay.  Later, the colonists founded Jamestown, Virginia 60 miles upstream from the mouth of the James River at the confluence of the James and Chikahiminy Rivers on May 14, 1607.

      As early as 1749, bonfires were kept burning to help mariners find the entrance to Hampton Roads.
In 1802, a 54-feet high sandstone Octagonal Lighthouse was constructed by Elzy Burroughs, a Virginian stone mason who also erected New Point Comfort Light (located 21 miles to the North at the entrance to Mobjack Bay near Bavon, Virginia) in 1806 (see Note 6).  Both Old Point Comfort and New Pont Comfort Lighthouses are nearly identical using similar Colonial Octagonal designs constructed of Aquia Creek sandstone.  A distinctive hand-hewn stone spiral staircase was constructed in the Tower of Old Point Comfort Light.

      The Lighthouse was erected on the grounds of Fort George (see Note 5).  During the War of 1812, British troops commanded by Admiral Cockburn seized Fort George and used the Lighthouse as a watchtower.  Due to the inadequate coastal defense that allowed British ships to sail up the Chesapeake Bay and capture Washington, DC., Fort Monroe was constructed (1819 to 1834) on Old Point Comfort as the largest stone fort and the only active U.S. Army fort encircled by a moat.

      During the Civil War, a two day naval battle of Hampton Roads occurred within view of the Lighthouse that ended with the engagement between the Union ironclad Monitor and the Confederate ironclad USS Virginia, also known as the Merrimack, on March 9th, 1862.

*According to U.S. Coast Guard sources, the Lighthouse was first established in 1774 yet to date, research has not located any details about a colonial lighthouse built here.

(2) To enter the Tower, call (804-727-3973) for an appointment.  The Lighthouse can be viewed from the road.
Directions From Norfolk International Airport: Follow the Signs to Interstate 64 West (Richmond),
Take the VA-169 E/Mallory St exit (Exit 268 - first exit out of the Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel) towards Fort Monroe, Turn Left onto VA-169/S Mallory Street, Turn Right at the first stop light onto VA-143 (Mellen St), Continue straight on Mellon Street and cross a small causeway leading to the gate of Fort Monroe, Turn Right onto US-258, Turn Left onto Fenwick Road.

(3) The Flash sequence is 2s fl 2s ec; 2s fl 6s ec (2-second Flash with a 2-second eclipse; 2-second Flash with a 6-second eclipse).  The White Sector (265° to 038°) covers the entrance to Hampton Roads.
In 1817, Winslow Lewis described the Light as a fixed light [Fixed White].

(4) The U.S. Coast Guard owns and maintains the Land and Tower.  Since 1973, the Keeper’s House has been a Private Residence for the Master Sargent.

(5) In 1609, Fort Algernourne was built on Old Point Comfort to protect the approaches to the Jamestown settlement.  The triangular stockaded fort was destroyed by hurricane in 1667.  The fort was rebuilt in 1728 using brick construction and named Fort George.  In 1749, the brick fort was destroyed by hurricane and a temporary fort was rebuilt in 1781 to defend the area from the British fleet.

(6) According to the research of Bill Burroughs, Elzy Burroughs lived in Stafford County, Virginia near the Aquia Creek quarry.  The location and depth of Aquia Creek quarry, at the bank of the Potomac River, allowed barges to be easily loaded with the sandstone and transported to Lighthouse construction sites (Old Cape Henry Lighthouse - 1792, Old Pont Comfort Lighthouse - 1802, and New Pont Comfort Lighthouse - 1806 ) as well as the White House and U.S. Capitol buildings in Washington.

In 1804, President Thomas Jefferson authorized the construction of New Point Comfort Light and Elzy Burroughs was awarded the contract to build the new Lighthouse based upon his workmanship of building the Old Point Comfort Lighthouse.  After completion, President Thomas Jefferson appointed Elzy Burroughs as the first Lightkeeper of New Point Comfort Light.