Elzy Burroughs
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Elzy Burroughs (1771/77-1825) was an American stonemason, engineer, and lighthouse keeper.
Most likely a native of Stafford County, Virginia, Burroughs had moved to Middlesex County or Essex County by 1798. He built three lighthouses along the Virginia coast, at Old Point Comfort, in Norfolk; New Point Comfort, in Mathews County, and Smith Point. Only the first two towers have survived until the present.
Soon after its construction, Burroughs was made keeper of the lighthouse at New Point Comfort, where he served officially until 1814; he is known, however, to have moved to Princess Anne County in 1810. By this time he is recorded to have been a widower with a large family. During the War of 1812 he reputedly served on the staff of General Robert Barraud Taylor, who was in charge of military operations in the Hampton Roads area. In connection with his service, some sources have called Burroughs the "hero of Craney Island", but no verification of his status as such is currently known.
Burroughs died at the home of his son John in Princess Anne Courthouse, in what is now Virginia Beach
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