Category: Old Plantation Flats

Keeper Bio: Ripley, James Temple

Keepers

Date of Service: 1900-1930 1873:  Born on March 8 in Mathews County, VA, to parents John & Elizabeth Davis Ripley. 1900:  Serves as Assistant Keeper at Cherrystone Bar Lighthouse (VA). His annual salary – $435.  Oliver R. Hudgins of Mathews serves as Keeper. 1901-1905:  Serves as First Assistant Keeper at Pages Rock Lighthouse (VA). His …

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Keeper Bio: Thomas, John William

Dates of Service: 1888-1895 1846:  Born on November 9, 1846, at New Point, Mathews County, VA to parents John B. & Sarah Thomas.  He is orphaned in infancy and raised by his grandmother until age five and then sheltered by various relatives. 1872:  Marries Emma Jane Davis. The couple has eleven children including Ruth Virginia, …

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Keeper Bio: Gunter, William M.

Date of Service: 1883-1884; 1891-1894 Born in Virginia. 1883-18849: Served as Assistant Keeper at Cherrystone Bqr Lighthouse, VA. His annual salary was $400/year. 1891-1893: Served as Assistant Keeper at Cherrystone Bar Lighthouse, VA. His annual salary was $235/year. 1893-1894: Served as Principal Keeper at Old Plantation Flats Lighthouse, VA. Keeper William Gunter Anecdotes: In January …

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Keeper Bio: Sadler, Andrew Broaddus

Date of Service: 1903 – 1930 1867: Born in Mathews County, VA. 1887: Serves as an oysterman.  Marries Willia Peters on February 27. The couple raises one child – Edith Pearl.  1903 – at least 1913: Serves as Assistant Keeper at Stingray Point Lighthouse (VA). Starting annual salary – $420; ending – $480. 1915: Serves …

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Keeper Bio: Salter, Clarence Walter

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 …

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Keeper Bio: Respess, Charles Edwin

Date of Service: 1888 – 1915 1862: Born on July 24 – Barn Creek, Gwynn’s Island, VA.1888 – 1890: Assistant on Cape Charles Light Vessel #46. 1891 – 1893: Captain of newly christened Cape Charles LV #49.1892: Married Annie “Lovie” Grimstead on July 13.1893 – 1894: Service at Cherrystone Bar as Assistant ($435/year) and Old …

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Keeper Bio: Kelly, William James

Date of Service: 1918 – 1945 1900: Born on January 29 to William S. Kelly and Bertha Wallace Kelly.1918 – 1920: Begins Lighthouse Service. Serves as Assistant Keeper at Old Plantation Flats Lighthouse (VA) – an off-shore screwpile lighthouse on the Eastern Shore of the Bay, southwest of Cape Charles City, VA. His salary was …

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Keeper Bio: Diggs, William James

Date of Service: 1916 – 1943 1882: Born January 5 in Mathews County, VA1908: Married Edna Grey Brooks on November 18 at Bethel United Methodist Church in Laban (now Onemo), Virginia. The couple raises three children, daughters Edna Virginia, Alice Jeanette and a son, James Carlton.1916 to 1917: Serves as Second Assistant Keeper at Wolf …

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Timeline: Old Plantation Flats Lighthouse

(Located on a shoal off the mouth of Old Plantation Creek near the start of the channel leading to the town of Cape Charles, VA – 03-31-18) 1886 White rectangular cottage built on a combination of screw piles and concrete pilons. Fitted with 4th-order Fresnel lens. 1894 Charles Edwin Respess serves as keeper. 1896 Lighthouse …

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Old Plantation Flats Lighthouse

Old Plantation Flats Lighthouse was built in 1886 as a white rectangular screwpile with a tower on the roof. The lighthouse was located at the entrance to the channel leading to Cape Charles, Virginia and Old Plantation Creek. The lighthouse had an unusual foundation construction with a combination of screwpile and concrete pylons. The lighthouse …

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