LIGHTSHIP No. 101, PORTSMOUTH
About this property
United States Lightship 101, known as Portsmouth (LV-101) as a museum ship, was first stationed at Cape Charles, Virginia. Today she is at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard Museum in Portsmouth, Virginia. Portsmouth never had a lightship station; however, when the vessel was dry docked there as a museum, she took on the pseudonym Portsmouth. A National Historic Landmark, she is one of a small number of surviving lightships. Lightship Portsmouth (LV-101) was built in 1915 by Pusey & Jones. She first served as Charles in the Chesapeake Bay outside Cape Charles, Virginia from 1916 until 1924. After that assignment Portsmouth served just over a year as the relief ship for other lightships in her district. She was then moved to Overfalls, Delaware, where she was stationed from 1926 to 1951 as Overfalls. In 1939 when the United States Lighthouse Service was absorbed into the United States Coast Guard she was reclassified WAL-524, but still kept a station name on her hull. During World War II the vessel was not armed, however many other lightships were. In 1951 LV-101/WAL 524 was reassigned to Stonehorse Shoal, Massachusetts, where she served until decommissioned in 1963. The lightship then sat in harbor at Portland, Maine, until her fate had been decided. On 3 September 1964, LV-101 was donated to the City of Portsmouth, Virginia, to become a part of the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard Museum. Portsmouth was dry docked at the London Pier in Portsmouth. Although she was never stationed there, she has taken on the city's name. In 1989, Portsmouth was designated a National Historic Landmark and is open for visitation. Stonehorse, Stonehorse Shoal, Massachusetts (1951–1963) CrossRip, Cross Rip Shoal, Massachusetts (1963–1964) National Register of Historic Places listings in Portsmouth, Virginia Foster, Kevin J. (August 5, 1988). "National Register of Historic Places Registration Form / Lightship No. 101" (pdf). National Park Service. Retrieved September 8, 2012. "Accompanying Photos" (pdf). National Park Service. Retrieved September 8, 2012. Media related to Portsmouth (ship, 1916) at Wikimedia Commons Lightship Portsmouth Archived April 28, 2016, at the Wayback Machine Chesapeake Bay Lighthouse Project - Lightship Portsmouth
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Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).
Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Everything a full report reveals about LIGHTSHIP No. 101, PORTSMOUTH
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Questions about this property
When was LIGHTSHIP No. 101, PORTSMOUTH listed on the National Register?
LIGHTSHIP No. 101, PORTSMOUTH was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on May 4, 1989.
What type of historic resource is LIGHTSHIP No. 101, PORTSMOUTH?
LIGHTSHIP No. 101, PORTSMOUTH is classified as a structure in the National Register of Historic Places.
Is LIGHTSHIP No. 101, PORTSMOUTH a National Historic Landmark?
Yes. LIGHTSHIP No. 101, PORTSMOUTH has been designated a National Historic Landmark (NHL), the highest level of federal recognition for historic properties in the United States.
What is the period of significance for LIGHTSHIP No. 101, PORTSMOUTH?
The period of significance for LIGHTSHIP No. 101, PORTSMOUTH is recorded as the industrial era.
Can I research the history near LIGHTSHIP No. 101, PORTSMOUTH?
Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near LIGHTSHIP No. 101, PORTSMOUTH will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.
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