Date of Service: 1854-1870 1813+/-: Thomas L. Kendall is born in Virginia. 1854-1861: Thomas L. Kendall is appointed the first Principal Keeper at Point of Shoals Lighthouse, VA. His salary is $500/year. 1861-1865: Thomas Kendall enlists in the 5th Virginia Cavalry. The lighthouse is discontinued during the Civil War. 1865-1868: Thomas L. Kendall is reinstated …
Permanent link to this article: https://cheslights.org/keeper-bio-thomas-l-kendall/
Date of Service: 1862-1863; 1882-1883 1862-1863: Served as Principal Keeper at Cape Charles Lighthouse, VA. His salary was $500/year. 1882-1883: Served as Second Assistant at Cape Charles Lighthouse, VA. His salary was $400/year. Sources: Familysearch.org, Chesapeake Chapter Database.
Permanent link to this article: https://cheslights.org/keeper-bio-thomas-j-fitchett/
Date of Service: 1892-1894 1862: Jesse Fitchett is born in Virginia. 1892-1894: Served as Assistant Keeper at Cape Charles Lighthouse, VA. His salary was $500/year. Sources: Familysearch.org, Chesapeake Chapter Database.
Permanent link to this article: https://cheslights.org/keeper-bio-jesse-s-fitchett/
Date of Service: 1865-1872 1865: Nancy B. Potts, the wife of Jean G. Potts, is appointed First Assistant Keeper at Cape Charles Lighthouse, VA. Her beginning salary is $300/year. (Her husband Jean G. Potts served as Principal Keeper) 1868: Keeper Jean G. Potts is killed in a disagreement by a man he meets walking on …
Permanent link to this article: https://cheslights.org/keeper-bio-nancy-potts/
Date of Service: 1864-1872 1864: Jean G. Potts, from Germany, is appointed Principal Keeper at Cape Charles Lighthouse, VA. His beginning salary is $500/year. (His wife Nancy B. Potts served as First Assistant) 1868: Keeper Jean G. Potts is killed in a disagreement by a man he meets walking on the railroad tracks near the …
Permanent link to this article: https://cheslights.org/keeper-bio-jean-potts/
Date of Service: 1875 – 1919 1855: Born on April 15 in Mathews County, VA 1875: Serves as Second Assistant Keeper at Windmill Point Lighthouse (VA). Annual salary – $400. 1875-1876: Serves as First Assistant Keeper at Windmill Point Lighthouse (VA). Annual Salary – $440. 1876-1907: Serves as Keeper at Windmill Point Lighthouse (VA). …
Permanent link to this article: https://cheslights.org/keeper-bio-james-garnett-williams/
Date of Service: 1925 – 1954 1892: Born on July 3 in Mathews County, VA. 1914: Marries Emma Lewis on October 10. The couple has two children – Eileen and Weldon Lewis. 1917: Works as a fisherman – Gwynn’s Island, VA. 1925: Works for the United States Lighthouse Service as a foreman for the Shipping …
Permanent link to this article: https://cheslights.org/keeper-bio-charles-franklin-sadler/
Date of Service: 1921 – 1948 1898: Born on February 20 to John Lotson Austin & Markey Poyner Austin, in Frisco, NC 1916-1917: Joins the U.S. Lighthouse Service and was stationed on three lightships, including LV71. 1918-1921: Worked on multiple “oilers” for the U.S. Army. 1921: Returned to the U.S. Lighthouse …
Permanent link to this article: https://cheslights.org/keeper-bio-julian-haywood-austin/
Date of Service: 1894 – 1925 1877: Born in Mathews County, VA 1894 – 1903: Serves at Old Plantation Flats Lighthouse. 1904: Married Fannie May Hudgins. Had three children – two daughters – Jessie Olga Salter Crouch and Mabel Salter Best; and one son – Charles Bradley Salter. 1903 – 1908: Serves at York Spit …
Permanent link to this article: https://cheslights.org/keeper-bio-salter-clarence-walter/
(Located on the west side of the south part of Smith Island, seacoast of Virginia, 12 miles NNE of Cape Henry, Manager -VA Nature Conservancy (VA Coast Reserve) – tallest skeletal tower in US) (Revised 03/26/2013) 1828 First lighthouse, 51 foot masonry tower constructed. 1860 Construction of a second lighthouse begun. 1862 Confederate guerillas raid …
Permanent link to this article: https://cheslights.org/timeline-cape-charles-lighthouse/
The first lighthouse at this site was completed in 1828. It was a 60-foot masonry tower that was painted white. In 1856 $35,000 was appropriated for a new tower. Work started in 1860 and at the start of the Civil War was only 83 feet tall. The Confederates raided the site and destroyed the light …
Permanent link to this article: https://cheslights.org/cape-charles-lighthouse/
