Virginia Beach Shipwrecks

The waters of coastal Virginia swirl with tales both tragic and heroic. Join Virginia Beach native Alpheus Chewning as he recounts harrowing stories of storms at sea, loss of life and fortune and the heroism of the United States Life-Saving Service. Marvel at the blunders and bungles that have plagued the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel and learn about the U-boats that lurked off the coast during World War II. Extensively researched and filled with fascinating details, Virginia Beach Shipwrecks is a treasure for sea lovers of all ages.

Virginia has more shipwrecks than any other state in the continental United States. With 112 miles of Atlantic coast, Virginia includes almost half of the Chesapeake Bay and many major tributaries: the Lynnhaven River, the Elizabeth River, the James River, the York River, and the Rappahannock River. Since the Jamestown settlement in 1607, hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of military and merchant vessels have sailed through "the Capes," an important economic lifeline linking the United States to the rest of the world. With 3,315 miles of tidal coastline and natural enemies such as water, fire, wind, age, and human fallibility, countless ships and lives have been lost. Virginia Shipwrecks vividly illustrates their story. Alpheus J. Chewning was born and raised in Virginia and has spent many years fishing and sailing on the Chesapeake Bay. In his 27-year career with the Virginia Beach Fire Department, he served several years assigned to the city's first fireboat. He was on the board of advisors of the Virginia Beach Maritime Historical Museum and now serves on the Princess Anne County/Virginia Beach Historical Society Board of Governors.

Featuring the accounts of twenty-five ill-starred vessels -- some notorious and some forgotten until now -- this anthology provides a fascinating history of a local maritime culture and charts how the catastrophic events along the Delmarva coast significantly affected U.S. merchant shipping as a whole.

Forty spooky stories that reveal the otherworldly history of this coastal city . . . Includes photos! Researched and written by a local history expert, this book delves into the creepy, unexplored avenues of Virginia Beach’s past. You’ll learn about the paranormal sightings at the Mayflower Apartments, where elevators behave bizarrely; the spectral details of Blackbeard’s buried treasure; a deadly stretch of road inexplicably responsible for eighty-nine fatalities over thirty years; and the untimely death of a military wife. From a wailing woman in the old Coast Guard Station to supernatural activity provoked by the association of two friends, Haunted Virginia Beach offers up spine-tingling apparitional tales that will shock and delight visitors and locals alike.

Few would guess from looking at the resplendent Virginia Beach shoreline-its stretches of fine sand, sloping dunes, and rolling waves-that the city has experienced anything but peace and tranquility since the history of its native Chesapeake tribe collided with the ambition and vision of new European settlers on the colonial coastline. But turmoil and conflict, as well as progress and achievement, are all a part of the area's unique story. Virginia Beach: A History of Virginia's Golden Shore brings to life the people, places, and events that contributed to the city's celebrated reputation. Through stories and memories, readers are introduced to the varied citizens who called this land home, including such characters as Sarah Offley who married three of early Virginia's most powerful settlers, and to the city's illustrious visitors. This volume also details, in both word and image, the influential resort age, which began in 1880 and saw the community flourish as people flocked to the Atlantic shore to dance, picnic, and enjoy the surf at the Princess Anne Hotel. Everyday vacationers mingled with notables such as Alexander Graham Bell and John, Lionel, and Ethel Barrymore at the landmark hotel with the railroad at its front door. Although little of the golden shore remains unchanged, modern residents continue to preserve what they can-especially their memories, pride, and love for the city.

Join author and historian Amy Waters Yarsinske as she takes one final stroll through a Virginia Beach lost to time. The Oceanfront's Cottage Line, the music halls of Seaside Park and dunes so large they dwarfed the old Cape Henry lighthouse are a memory. Gone, too, are many of the city's iconic landmarks and open spaces, lost to storm, fire and the relentless onslaught of post-World War II development. With a deft hand and rare vintage images, historian Amy Waters Yarsinske recalls a time when the likes of Chuck Berry and Ray Charles played beneath the sizzling lights of the Dome and locals shagged the night away at the Peppermint Beach Club.

First visited by English settlers in 1607, Virginia Beach has been a popular tourist destination ever since. The sea, sand, and sun are the most popular attractions, but throughout history the city has also been known for its unique architecture. The first geodesic dome built in the United States, designed by Buckminster Fuller, was the city's convention center for many years. The Cavalier Hotel, when built in 1927, was the state's largest brick structure. The new Cape Henry lighthouse, completed in 1881, remains the tallest cast iron lighthouse in the country. The lighthouse it replaced, a structure that still stands today, was erected in 1791 and was the first federally funded structure built in the United States.

Explore the lore of the Old Dominion. From colonial-era witches to modern sightings of Bigfoot, the history of the Old Dominion is filled with creepy tales. Cemeteries, battlefields and inns host haunts from Virginia's earliest days. Some appear as corporeal figures, and some as lights or ghostly noises. Delve into the sad and scary stories of patients who still linger in Victorian-era sanatoriums. Unexplained sightings of mysterious creatures, from Bigfoot to werewolves, are widespread in the western part of the state, and Chessie rears her head in the Bay--for the lucky few! Even prominent buildings like the Executive Mansion in Richmond have their own uncanny legends. Join master storyteller Sherman Carmichael as he tells spooky tales of the Old Dominion.