ARMAGON
This place around 40 miles north of Pulicat was the first place in which the English established their factory in 1625 before establishment of Fort St . George This village was originally inhabited by salt manufacturers. The native legend goes like this. In the time of Guruva Naidu a native chieftain in early 17th century the English arrived here to build a Fort for themselves. The Accountant of Guruva Naidu was Patnaswamulu Armogam Mudalier. The English brought a Cannon fired a shot towards the west and asked for as much land as was included in the space the shot traversed . The land belonged to Venkatagiri Raja who was induced by Guruva Naidu and Armogam to allow the British to build a Fort. A Fort/Factory defended by twelve pieces of Cannon was built in 1625. The place was called ARMAGON in honour of Arumuga Mudalier whose name the British found hard to pronounce.
A light house was built by the British in 1853 here to warn the vessels of ARMAGON shoals 6 miles from the shore. The shoals are ten miles long. The still water inside the shoal is called Blackwood Harbour since it was charted by Sir Henry Blackwood admiral of the Coast who suggested it can be a practicable Harbour. The old light house is now abandoned and a new one built in 1980s.
Light house built in 1853
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