Markers of History

Note: Lightship Portsmouth has two mark­ers for the Path of History and a des­ig­na­tion as a National Historic Landmark. This is the final of three posts here, one for each snarf.

Well, I’m glad this is the last post in this series. I’m get­ting tired of writ­ing about this light­ship. I’ll have to con­sider whether there’s a good way to con­sol­i­date cases like this, with­out hav­ing a sin­gle post so long that NOBODY will look at it! (And I’m glad I didn’t make a museum visit, which would be another snarf/entry.)

National Historic Landmark
U.S. Lightship No. 101 Portsmouth

Location: At the Water St end of London St, Portsmouth, VA 23704.

Visited: June 1, 2009, 1:15pm

Transcription of marker:

U.S. Lightship No. 101
Portsmouth

has been des­ig­nated a

National Historic Landmark

This ves­sel pos­sesses national sig­nif­i­cance
in com­mem­o­rat­ing the his­tory of the
United States of America

1989

National Park Service
United States Department of the Interior

My impres­sions: I think my impres­sions have been fully cov­ered in the pre­vi­ous two posts. This marker itself, unlike the Walk of History mark­ers or the state marker pro­grams, isn’t intended to tell us much about the land­mark, but sim­ply to let us know that the land­mark is here. Markers can explain his­tory, but a land­mark des­ig­na­tion plaque alerts us to the pres­ence of his­tory and it’s up to us to look up and find it or walk in and expe­ri­ence it.

Notes for future snar­fers: This marker is between the light­ship and the street. The next clos­est marker related to the light­ship is along the path to the left of the light­ship as you face this marker. The other is along the sea wall behind the lightship.

Markeroni sta­tus: This land­mark is await­ing inclu­sion in the Markeroni database.

Update (6/7): This marker was included in the Markeroni data­base yes­ter­day and I logged my visit this morning.