On December 14, 1881, the light source was removed from the original Cape Henry Lighthouse and placed in the newly constructed iron tower. Keeper Jay D. Edwards transferred his attention to the iron structure the following day, when the new light, with a focal plane of 157 feet and a range of 18 ¾ miles, was exhibited for the first time. In one day, the old tower transitioned from a lighthouse to an historic landmark.

The two towers continue to stand side-by-side on the southerly Cape of Chesapeake Bay, one of the most important shipping channels in the nation. The vital ports of Norfolk, Newport News, Baltimore and Washington are all accessed through the Chesapeake, and the Cape Henry lighthouses have provided over two hundred years of uninterrupted aid to navigation.

On December 14, 1881, the light source was removed from the original Cape Henry Lighthouse and placed in the newly constructed iron tower. Keeper Jay D. Edwards transferred his attention to the iron structure the following day, when the new light, with a focal plane of 157 feet and a range of 18 ¾ miles, was exhibited for the first time. In one day, the old tower transitioned from a lighthouse to an historic landmark.

The two towers continue to stand side-by-side on the southerly Cape of Chesapeake Bay, one of the most important shipping channels in the nation. The vital ports of Norfolk, Newport News, Baltimore and Washington are all accessed through the Chesapeake, and the Cape Henry lighthouses have provided over two hundred years of uninterrupted aid to navigation.