Middle Ground Light Appraisal

Newport News Lighthouse (Newport News Middle Ground Light) Architectural Print

This item is a framed architectural drawing and sectional plan of the Newport News Lighthouse (specifically the Newport News Middle Ground Light), dated 1891 as indicated by the inscription in the lower right. The print is executed in black ink on a cream-colored, aged parchment or heavy stock paper. The illustration features a detailed vertical cross-section of the 'spark-plug' style lighthouse, showing the caisson foundation, the central pier, internal gallery levels, and the lantern room at the peak. Below the elevation is a circular plan view indicating the layout of the interior living spaces. The artwork includes calligraphic labels identifying the subject and the year. The paper shows significant foxing and ambering consistent with age or a manufactured vintage aesthetic. It is professionally matted with a blue inner border and housed behind glass in a wooden frame. In the bottom left corner, a small credit line mentions 'Historical Reproductions,' suggesting this is a high-quality mid-to-late 20th-century decorative print of an original 19th-century engineering drawing. The craftsmanship of the technical illustration is precise, capturing the industrial maritime architecture of the Chesapeake Bay area.