Virginia Department of Historic Resources Virginia Department of Historic Resources
For additional information, read the Nomination Form PDF
VLR Listing Date 09/10/2003
NRHP Listing Date 12/02/2002
NRHP Reference Number 02001438
The Newport News Middle Ground Light Station is listed under the National Register Multiple Property Documentation Form for Light Stations in the United States. It is one of the oldest caisson lighthouses in Virginia waters, and rests on a wooden caisson that supports a round 25-foot-diameter and 56-foot-high cast-iron foundation cylinder. The integral tower-dwelling is a cast-iron, three-story, conical-shaped superstructure, 29 feet in height and 21 feet in diameter at the base, on which is mounted a one-story circular watch room surmounted by an octagonal lantern. Both Newport News Middle Ground and Thimble Shoal light stations retain a roof over the lower gallery, a feature once common to many caisson-type lighthouses but frequently removed. The lighthouse, owned and managed by the U.S. Coast Guard, is located in about 15 feet of water on the western end of Newport News Middle Ground in Hampton Roads.
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
Updated: February 21, 2021
