Name Portsmouth Laid down 1915 Decommissioned 23 March 1964 Construction started 1915 Length 31 m | Builder Pusey & Jones Acquired 2 September 1916 In service 1916 Launched 12 January 1916 | |
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Address London & Water St, Portsmouth, VA 23704, USA Hours Open today · 10AM–5PMSaturday10AM–5PMSunday1–5PMMondayClosedTuesdayClosedWednesday10AM–5PMThursday10AM–5PMFriday10AM–5PMSuggest an edit Similar Portsmouth Naval Shi, Luna, Roann, Forceful, Nash | ||
United States Lightship 101, known as Portsmouth, 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 pseudo-name, Portsmouth. A National Historic Landmark, she is one of a small number of surviving lightships.
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History
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.