"A picturesque spot which impresses all who see it"

Before the late-19th century, most Americans did not travel for leisure, and wealthy travelers went mostly for health and wellness. In the 1880s, changing ideas about leisure and improved railroad access made isolated places more reachable, and a nearby resort opened at Virginia Beach. Established soon after, the Cape Henry resort was promoted as a destination for both pleasure and health. Its tourism economy depended on workers who built the rail line, provided hospitality services, and supplied fresh oysters to the casino. Cape Henry's major attractions included the lighthouses built in 1792 and 1881, lifesaving stations built in 1874 and 1904, and a weather station built in 1918. Tourism there was driven by the Cape Henry Syndicate and the Chesapeake Transit Company, which sought both to build a resort and to extract valuable lumber, aims that required dependable transportation to this remote location. In the 1890s, the Cape Henry Park and Land Company, renamed the Cape Henry Syndicate in 1899, purchased more than 5,500 acres and built rental cottages, many of which were sold and remained privately owned through the early Army occupation from 1914 to 1941. Workers for the Chesapeake Transit Company built an electric rail line from Norfolk to Cape Henry in 1902, and the Cape Henry Train Station opened that same year. The Sea Breeze Hotel and several other hostelries opened in the 1900s, the Chesapeake Transit Company built a large dancing pavilion in 1903, and O'Keefe's Casino opened soon after as a venue for dances and other social events. Visitors also enjoyed picnics on the sand dunes and picking wild berries. The development of the Army's Fort Story greatly reduced the vitality of Cape Henry's tourism industry.

Virginia Beach, Virginia · United States