Sitting pretty in the Chesapeake Bay of Virginia, this Beacon ain't your everyday navigation tool. Since 2002, it's had a place on the National Register of Historic Places, a shiny medal of honor. If we wind back the clock to 1872, you'd find Tower One, but ol' Lady Luck seemed to have a migraine that year. Goodbye, Tower One, a rebuild was a-calling in 1880. The second tower might've had a few run-ins with bad luck, collisions and fires, until it took a dive in 1909.
But don't worry, the current structure, built next to the old foundation in 1914, boasts some snazzy diamond-shaped panes and round porthole windows, making it a real head-turner. The light's service was swapped out in 1964, but it kept shining bright for private interests who claimed it in 2005. The original Fresnel lens is now enjoying a peaceful retirement at the Coast Guard Training Center in Yorktown, Virginia. So, the Thimble Shoal Beacon stands tall and proud, a time capsule of the past and a reliable guide for savvy seafarers.
Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons
Written by Friendly Jane
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