Bald Head Lighthouse Has Spirited History

Information on all North Carolina Lighthouses can be found at http://www.outerbankslighthousesociety.org and http://www.outer-banks.com/lighthouse-society Visiting Old Baldy as a Keeper's Family – Pages 4-5 Lighthouse Updates – Pages 8-9 Keeper's Family Continues Tradition – Page 11 Just Yesterday at Cape Hatteras – Pages 14-15 Volume XIV Number 2 Summer 2008 Bald Head Lighthouse Has Spirited History “Old Baldy,” built in 1817, is North Carolina’s oldest existing tower and may be the most haunted as well. Do we believe in such superlatives? Our members will travel to the island and take a special tour during our annual Keeper’s Weekend in October to find out. By Cheryl Shelton-Roberts & Norma Elizabeth ituated on an island that carries a name that con- jures up visions of an aged, hairless head is hardly Sthe way to honor the state’s oldest light station site. If you think 1817 makes it old, think again. The first tower built on this island harkens back to the Revolutionary period in 1794. One can immediately feel the history lingering here—even the engraved plaque over the front door is carved with Roman numerals “AD 1817”—and what a perfect setting this bit of paradise is to host a ghost. In fact, there have been no less than dozens of reports of sightings. Further, the reports continue; indeed, recently an older couple visiting the lighthouse took pictures of one another at Old Baldy. When the wife got home and downloaded the images, she couldn’t believe her eyes. In one of the pictures of her husband, a little girl clearly appeared behind and to his left. The only thing is that when they were at the lighthouse, there wasn’t another soul around. Or was there? According to records, a former keeper’s daughter died at the lighthouse at a young age. Frequent occurrences are images of orbs appearing on visitors’ souvenir pictures while visiting the light Continued Page 2 Bald Head Lighthouse Has Spirited History Continued from page 1 station. These spots of light are ghosts’ energies, so Carolina. The Patriot—with no living soul aboard— paranormal experts claim, and have shown up both eventually drifted ashore near Cape Hatteras. inside on the steps to the lantern room as well as To this day no one knows for sure what happened outside the lighthouse at all hours of the evening and to Theodosia. Did the pirates kill her along with the night. Patriot’s crew and other passengers? Did she man- An excellent account about ghosts of Bald Head is a age to escape from the attackers and make her way to brief publication Lighthouse Ghosts & Carolina Legends shore? Or did one of the pirates take her to his Outer by Norma Elizabeth and Bruce Roberts, published by Banks cottage and allow her to live out her days in Lighthouse Publications. Read on, and make your own relative comfort but cut off from the rest of the world? judgment about Bald Head’s spirited past. All that is known for sure is that she has been seen myriad times from Cape Hatteras southward to Bald Head Island. She always seems to be searching for The “denuded” dunes on the island’s southern shore something—perhaps the portrait of herself that she gave Bald Head Island its name. Its semitropical cli- was taking to her father in New York, the portrait that, mate, breathtaking natural beauty, and more than 400 apparently unknown to Theodosia, showed up years years of remarkable maritime history have given this ago under somewhat mysterious circumstances on the island oasis its unique heritage. And its resident ghosts Outer Banks and now hangs in a private museum in continue to give it extra-special charm. New York City. Jane Carr Oakley, former employee and “curator of Jane, who conducted historic tours of Bald Head ghosts” for the Old Baldy [Lighthouse] Foundation Island (part of the Smith Island complex) from 1992 and The Smith Island Museum of History, attests until recently, credits Cap’n Charles “Charlie” Norton to the presence of at least three bona fide ghosts on Swan for most of what she knows about Theodosia. Bald Head Island: the sad and lovely Theodosia Burr Cap’n Charlie served as head keeper of the Cape Fear Alston; a woman with bright red hair who seems to Light Station on Bald Head Island from 1903 to 1933, be of Scottish descent and who may in fact be the and he told many stories about the lovely dark-haired very lively spirit of a Mrs. Cloden (sometimes spelled young woman who wears a long flowing dress. While Cloadan or Kalodon); and a gentleman dapperly Jane hasn’t personally “met” Theodosia, she and her dressed in a pinstripe suit. Theodosia has been seen so husband, Doug, and their Siamese cat, Indigo, have many times by so many people over so many years that indeed “met” red-haired Mrs. Cloden and/or the a bed-and-breakfast inn has been named in her honor, dapper gentleman in the pinstripe suit. These two Theodosia’s, where guests are invited to rock in the “people” appear to have taken up permanent residence chairs and swing in the porch swings as they “relax and in one or more of the three restored/reconstructed absorb the tranquil beauty of this seaside setting.” keepers’ dwellings at the historic light station. Poor Theodosia herself however seems to have a Jane and her husband spent a weekend in the middle very hard time staying in any one place, let alone sit- of the three dwellings. The minute they entered the ting still and relaxing. She is most often seen wander- two-story house, Indigo made a mad dash for the bed ing alone and seemingly forlorn, sometimes along the and crawled under the bedspread. The spooked cat, beach, sometimes on the golf course near Theodosia’s his eyes as big as saucers, refused to eat or drink any- Bed and Breakfast, and at least once trying on something the entire weekend, and he only came out of hid- one’s grandmother’s wedding dress. People say that ing at night. Jane and Doug watched helplessly as their they smell a distinct musky scent before they see this scared pet gingerly crept from under the covers and beautiful young woman whose journey aboard the “ran patterns” all the while howling mournfully. One Patriot came to such an untimely and unpleasant end night while they were trying to catch a few minutes in January 1813. Theodosia was on her way from her of sleep in between Indigo’s frenzied runs and pitiful home near Georgetown, South Carolina, to visit her moans, Doug “felt someone sit on the bed”—and it father, Aaron Burr, in New York City when pirates wasn’t the cat. attacked the small pilot boat off the coast of North 2 LIGHTHOUSE NEWS • SUMMER 2008 Photo Illustration of Theodosia Based on Reported Sightings Jane notes that another couple who spent the night some of the island’s most charming residents. in this very same house reported seeing the man in a For more about Bald Head Island (also known as Smith pinstripe suit looking out the window toward Frying Island), contact The Old Baldy Foundation, P.O. Box 3007, Pan Shoals. And when a family rented the house, Bald Head Island, NC 28461; 910/457-7481; http:// their young son almost “drove his parents crazy talk- www.oldbaldy.org; keeperscottage@oldbaldy.org; or visit the ing about his invisible friend.” He told them he met a Lighthouse Friends Web site, http://www.lighthousefriends. “very nice” lady with bright red hair at the top of the com. For more about Theodosia’s Bed and Breakfast contact stairs every night, and she would ask him questions. the inn at Harbour Village, Bald Head Island, NC 28461; Jane also mentions the honeymooners who rented one 800/656-1812 or 910/457-6563; http://www.theodosias. of the other keepers’ dwellings and were more than a com. little surprised to see the bride’s wedding gown “mov- The Lighthouse News thanks Norma Elizabeth and ing” while it hung in the bedroom closet. Bruce Roberts for use of their article from Lighthouse When you plan your visit to historic, beautiful Bald Ghosts & Coastal Carolina Legends. We also thank Jane Head Island, be sure to leave plenty of time to tour Carr Oakley and Ann Mills—the great hosts to the Cape Fear Light Station and see Old Baldy, North ghosts of Old Baldy and the island. Old Baldy Foundation Carolina’s oldest standing lighthouse. Spend some Executive Director Ann Mills will lead our tour on Bald extra time looking at the exhibits and talking with Head Island during the OBLHS 2008 Annual Keepers’ staff and volunteers at The Smith Island Museum Weekend Oct. 9-11. of History, housed in one of the keepers’ dwellings. While you’re there you just may catch a glimpse of L IGHTHOUSE NEWS • Su m m er 20 0 8 3 Visiting Old Baldy as a Keeper’s Family By Dawn Taylor t was mid-February, when I found myself sitting in a rocking chair on the front porch of Principal Keeper ICaptain Charlie Swan’s keeper’s quarters. The view from that porch on Bald Head Island was one I’ll never forget. Time had seemed to recede: no longer did it feel like I was living in the present but in the time of my great grandfather, Devaney F. Jennette. He had been the first assistant keeper at the Cape Fear Light Station for thirteen years of his life.

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