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Naval Aviation Monument
At 25th Street and Atlantic, the Naval Aviation Monument depicts three historic eras in naval aviation and represents the culmination of an eight-year undertaking by NAF's Hampton Roads Squadron.
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Atlantic Wildfowl Heritage Museum
This unique museum is located in the last remaining Virginia Beach Boardwalk cottage, de Witt Cottage,
which was built in 1895. There is an array of wildfowl artifacts and art as well as representations of
the early history of the Virginia Beach. Admission is free.
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Francis Land House
A 200 year old plantation home features period rooms furnished with antiques and reproductions that are
representative of the gentry class lifestyle of the 18th and early 19th centuries.
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Cape Henry Lighthouses
The lighthouses at Cape Henry silently guard the entryway into the Chesapeake Bay. The octagonal stone
structure was completed in 1792 and is the oldest government-built lighthouse in America. The “new”
lighthouse was built in 1881 and is the tallest cast iron lighthouse in the country. Both are located at
Fort Story, north of the resort area.
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Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art
The Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art has brought the significant art of our time to Hampton
Roads. Through regularly changing exhibitions by national and international artists, the Center
explores contemporary culture and brings it to life through educational programming and special
events. The award-winning facility is also host to many regional events, performing arts programs,
and family entertainment.
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Adam Thoroughgood House
Nestled near the bank of the Lynnhaven River, the Thoroughgood House is one of the oldest brick homes
in America. Its spectacular collection of late 17th- and early 18th-century English furniture and newly-restored
gardens offer visitors a view of the lifestyle of a wealthy Virginia colonist.
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Old Coast Guard Station
This museum tells the story of the men who served in the US Life-Saving Service and the US Coast
Guard. Galleries provide an insight into the early days of shipwrecks along the Virginia coast and
the efforts of the life-savers at the stations. Located at 24th Street and the Boardwalk.
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Church and Religion
1607
A cross commemorating the "first landing" was erected at Cape Henry.
1662
Quakers (Society of Friends) were considered to be on the extreme left of church reformers and were therefore
persecuted. In 1662 and 1663, twenty people were fined for attending meetings. Richard Russell was fined for
holding meetings in his home. Quakers later built a meeting house and school on present-day Laskin Road.
1872
Former slaves broke away from old Nimmo Church and met in homes. By 1873 they met in a tiny log cabin known as
Mt.Zion African Methodist Episcopal Church.
1890
Wood from the 1889 wreck of the Agnes Barton was used to build Eastern Shore Chapel Mission by the Sea near Dam Neck.
1960
Pat Robertson establishes the Christian Broadcasting Network in Virginia Beach.
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Military
1607
Captain Christopher Newport's party was attacked by natives near Cape Henry.
1781
The Battle off the Capes, a major naval engagement between the British and the French fought off Cape Charles and
Cape Henry marked the turning point of the American Revolution.
1807
A battle between the U. S. frigate Chesapeake and the English vessel Leopard took place off
Lynnhaven Inlet. The incident was part of the events that led to the outbreak of the War of 1812.
1914
Fort Story, named for John P. Story, and artillery expert, was opened. Called the "American Gibraltar," it was the
first military base in Virginia Beach.
1942
The tanker Tiger was torpedoed by a German submarine and sank off the coast of the Dam Neck Training Center.
1943
The Naval Auxiliary Air Station Oceana was commissioned.
1944
Camp Ashby, in the Thalia area of Virginia Beach Boulevard, was a prisoner of war camp during World War II and held
6,000 prisoners over two years.
1981
Twenty-four goats were purchased to "mow" the grass in the weapons compound area aboard NAS Oceana.
1988
The Tidewater Veterans Memorial was built and dedicated to all United States war veterans.
2006
Naval Aviation Park, a monument depicting three historic areas in the history of naval aviation opens at 25th Street
and Atlantic overlooking the Atlantic Ocean.
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People
1585
Chesapioc, the principal village of the Chesapean Indians, was located at Great Neck Point.
1607
Cape Henry was named in honor of King James' son Henry, Prince of Wales.
1718
Edward Teach is said to have used "Blackbeard's Island" in Lake Joyce (just off present day Shore Drive near
Bayville Park) as a hiding place prior to his death.
1912
James M. Jordan Jr. became the first man to ride a surfboard on the east coast.
1925
Edgar Cayce moved to Virginia Beach.
1960
Two friends, William Deal and Ammon Tharp, formed a band that would later become known as Bill Deal and the
Rhondels which is know for Beach Music.
2000
Local military veteran Rudy Boesch was a contestant on the television reality show Survivor.
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Cultural Life
1888
Virginia Beach constructs its first wooden boardwalk.
1926
Members of the London Bridge Baptist Church formed the Purity Squad to help track down bootleggers.
1929
The Cavalier Beach Club opened.
1933
Ocean Breeze Beach opened for African Americans on Lake Joyce just off present day Shore Drive, north of Bayville Park.
1942
The Dunes Club was in operation as a night club and gambling casino. It closed in 1953.
1956
The first Boardwalk Art Show was held.
1962
The East Coast Surfing Championship was established.
1971
Mount Trashmore opened as a city park.
1996
The Virginia Beach Amphitheater was opened.
2001
Virginia Beach was ranked #2 out of 100 cities as one of "The 10 Best Cities for Families" by Child magazine.
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Natural Environment
1850
Local lore attributed the name Sandbridge to a physical feature "a sand bridge built over a log road to the beach."
1936
The Cape Henry Syndicate deeded 1,000 acres to the state forming the nucleus of Seashore State Park. An additional 2,670 acres of land was acquired to add to the park, resulting in twenty-five miles of trails cleared by the Civilian Conservation Corps [CCC]. Two years after Seashore State Park opened to the public, an additional 2,373 acres were purchased.
1938
The Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge was established with 4,600 acres.
1962
The "Ash Wednesday Storm" brought 20 to 30-foot waves, over seven-foot tides, and damaged 340 homes and over 1000 automobiles. It destroyed the dunes at the Fleet Combat Training Center at Dam Neck.
1968
The Rudee Inlet Authority opened Rudee Inlet to boating.
1982
The Coastal Primary Sand Dunes Act was passed requiring permits to balance development, protection and preservation of coastal features.
1991
The U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service received $3 million to start buying 6,340 acres of forested swamps, farmland and marshes for the Back Bay Wildlife Refuge and the following year Congress approved $1.8 million to expand the refuge.
1995
Seashore State Park was renamed First Landing State Park.