▁History ▁ ▁An ▁L - sh aped ▁sho al ▁s its ▁in ▁the ▁middle ▁of ▁major ▁sh ipping ▁lan es ▁just ▁off ▁the ▁coast ▁of ▁Ham pton ▁Ro ads , ▁Virginia , ▁creating ▁a ▁ha z ard ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 8 8 0 s ▁as ▁ships ▁drew ▁more ▁water . ▁The ▁US ▁L ighth ouse ▁Board ▁identified ▁the ▁need ▁for ▁a ▁l ighth ouse ▁in ▁this ▁area ▁in ▁ 1 8 8 7 , ▁and ▁after ▁several ▁econom izing ▁changes ▁to ▁the ▁design , ▁construction ▁began ▁in ▁ 1 8 9 0 ▁and ▁was ▁completed ▁in ▁the ▁spring ▁of ▁the ▁following ▁year . ▁This ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁spark pl ug ▁l ighth ouse ▁built ▁in ▁Virginia . ▁ ▁The ▁station ▁was ▁autom ated ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 4 , ▁at ▁which ▁time ▁the ▁light ▁and ▁fog ▁bell ▁were ▁alter ed . ▁The ▁light ▁flash ed ▁a ▁white ▁ 3 , 0 0 0 ▁cand le power ▁every ▁six ▁seconds , ▁and ▁the ▁fog ▁bell ▁sound ed ▁one ▁stroke ▁every ▁fifteen ▁seconds , ▁instead ▁of ▁two . ▁The ▁l ighth ouse ▁was ▁also ▁down grad ed ▁along ▁with ▁these ▁changes ; ▁the ▁Coast ▁Guard ▁rec lass ified ▁it ▁as ▁a ▁" second ▁class ▁tall ▁nun ▁bu oy ." ▁This ▁also ▁marked ▁the ▁beginning ▁of ▁a ▁period ▁of ▁neglect . ▁In ▁ 1 9 7 9 , ▁the ▁now ▁un mann ed ▁light ▁was ▁struck ▁by ▁a ▁t ug bo at , ▁and ▁an ▁ins pection ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 2 ▁showed