HAMPTON, Va. — On today's date 150 years ago, the Thimble Shoal Lighthouse was lit for the first time.
According to the Hampton History Museum, the lighthouse, which sits at the southern end of the Chesapeake Bay, alerted ships of the shallow waters at the mouth of the Hampton Roads harbor.
Nicknamed the "Bug Light" by Fort Monroe troops, the lighthouse was destroyed by a fire and rebuilt in 1880. But that wouldn't be the last time the lighthouse would be damaged.
In 1909, the schooner Malcolm Baxter, Jr. hit the lighthouse, sparking a fire. The lighthouse was completely destroyed, according to the museum.
The lighthouse you see today was built in 1914 and was sold in action in 1964.
