5 3 ▁and ▁consisted ▁of ▁a ▁white w ashed ▁brick ▁tower ▁with ▁a ▁ke eper ' s ▁dwell ing ▁adjacent ▁to ▁it . ▁It ▁was ▁ost ens ibly ▁equ ipped ▁with ▁a ▁first - order ▁fres nel ▁l ens , ▁though ▁a ▁report ▁in ▁ 1 8 7 0 ▁stated ▁that ▁it ▁had ▁been ▁assigned ▁a ▁fourth ▁order ▁l ens ▁instead . ▁ ▁E ros ion ▁of ▁the ▁island ▁eventually ▁end anger ed ▁the ▁first ▁l ighth ouse , ▁and ▁in ▁ 1 8 9 6 ▁an ▁oct ag onal ▁iron ▁ske leton ▁tower ▁similar ▁to ▁the ▁ 1 8 9 5 ▁Cape ▁Charles ▁Light ▁was ▁ere cted ▁to ▁replace ▁it . ▁ ▁This ▁new ▁l ighth ouse , ▁the ▁third ▁tall est ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁at ▁ 1 9 4 ▁feet , ▁was ▁built ▁more ▁than ▁a ▁half ▁mile ▁back ▁from ▁the ▁ocean ▁in ▁a ▁clear ing ▁in ▁the ▁dense ▁p ine ▁forest ▁that ▁once ▁covered ▁most ▁of ▁Hog ▁Island . ▁It ▁was ▁the ▁sister ▁light ▁of ▁Cape ▁Charles ▁( 1 8 9 5 / 1 9 1 ft ), ▁both ▁ske let al ▁steel ▁super - struct ures , ▁Hog ▁Island ▁featured ▁an ▁anten na ▁that ▁gave ▁it ▁the ▁ 3 ft ▁height ▁difference . ▁This ▁has ▁been ▁carefully ▁analyz ed ▁util izing ▁the ▁photograph ▁from ▁Eli ot ▁Elis if on ▁taken ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 4 ▁for ▁Time ▁Magazine . ▁The ▁First - Order ▁F res nel ▁l ens ▁featured ▁ 4 - Mill ion ▁Cand ell as