"Cape Henlopen Lighthouse" by Paul McGehee. The scene depicts the famous Delaware lighthouse overlooking the Atlantic Ocean coastline over a century ago. The historic light was only the sixth beacon constructed in Colonial America, completed in 1767. The 69'-tall granite tower was constructed on the "Great Dune" so as to further its height. Through the years, many ships were warned away from the treacherous coastline by the Cape Henlopen Light. The lighthouse bravely stood watch for almost 150 years as nature's wrath took its toll...storms and constant winds at the point eroded both the dune and the beach. By the early years of the 20th century, the Cape Henlopen Lighthouse was in danger of collapsing into the ocean. The first efforts to bolster its strength came in 1905 and continued over the next several years. The newer Delaware Breakwater Light took over Cape Henlopen's duties in the early 1920's as the old lighthouse was taken out of service on September 20, 1924. For almost two years after that, the old, abandoned lighthouse stood; tenuously holding on to what little was left of the Great Dune. Finally, the historic Cape Henlopen Lighthouse collapsed onto the beach below during a "nor'easter" storm on April 13, 1926, ending the long and storied life of one of the United States' oldest lighthouses. The Cape Henlopen Lighthouse is now symbolically memorialized by the State Park bearing its name. A miniature replica of the Lighthouse stands at the nearby resort town of Rehoboth Beach, reminding vacationers of the old days of the Lighthouse Service. When the tower fell in 1926, it signaled the end of an era. "Cape Henlopen Lighthouse" is faithfully reproduced as an archival-quality print from McGehee's original color pencil drawing, each hand-signed by the artist. Edition size 500 S/N. Print image size: 10 1/2" x 15".