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Historic Light Station Information NORTH CAROLINA
BALD HEAD "OLD BALDY" LIGHT
Location: BALD HEAD ISLAND/CAPE FEAR RIVER Station Established: 1789 Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1817 Operational? NO Automated? NO Deactivated: 1930 Foundation Materials: DRESSED STONE Construction Materials: BRICK Tower Shape: OCTAGONAL Height: 110-feet Markings/Pattern: MOTTLED STUCCO/PLASTER Characteristics: Relationship to Other Structure: SEPARATE Original Lens: 15 LAMPS & REFLECTORS 1851 Foghorn: None
Historical Information:
On December 14, 1790, the State of North Carolina ceded to the United States 10 acres of land on Cape Fear Island, in response to the invitation held out by the act of August 7, 1789, for the States to make cessions to the Federal Government of "lighthouses, beacons, buoys, and public piers, and lots of land for lighthouses, etc." On April 2, 1792, Congress appropriated $4,000 and provided "that the Secretary of the Treasury, under the direction of the President of the United States, be authorized, as soon as may be, to cause to be finished in such manner as shall appear advisable, the lighthouse heretofore begun under the authority of the State of North Carolina, on Bald Head, at the mouth of the Cape Fear River in said State." Three further appropriations totaling $7,359.14 were made between 1793 and 1797 and the light was completed and first shone in 1796. Between 1813 and 1817, $16,000 was appropriated "for rebuilding Bald Head Lighthouse." On July 1, 1834, Capt. Henry D. Hunter of the revenue cutter Taney inspected Bald Head Light which he described as having 15 lamps, 109 feet above the level of the sea, showing a fixed light. Two years later he again inspected the
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light. "The keeper is an old revolutionary soldier," he reported "and is unable from sickness to give the lighthouse his constant personal attention. The light, however, shows well from a distance." A Jones fog bell was placed near Bald Head Lighthouse in 1855. In the same year the Lighthouse Board recommended the substitution of "a third-order lens, larger model, 3600 for the present apparatus." It also recommended a fixed light, light, varied by flashes "to distinguish this light, under all circumstances, from Federal Point Light." The range lights on the upper jetty of Cape Fear River, which had been installed in 1856, "were extinguished by the rebels in 1861, and the structures entirely destroyed." In 1866 Bald Head Light was discontinued after a new lighthouse had been built at the mouth of the Cape Fear River to replace Federal Point Light. In 1880, however, Federal Point Light had been rendered useless and was discontinued because of the closing of the New Inlet Channel by the Engineer Department. Bald Head Light was relighted at that time and, together with a small stake light on the beach in front of it, served as a guide through the 16- to 18-foot Oak Island Channel across the bar. The shore on the inside was reported in 1881 as being "rapidly abraded by the action of the sea, which is doubtless increased by the augmented flow of water through Oak Island Channel due to the closing of New Inlet." In the following year it was noted, "Some means of protection must soon be used, or the lighthouse will be destroyed." In August 1883 a stone jetty, 150 feet long, was authorized for the protection of the foundation of the tower. This work was completed, in time probably, to save the tower from destruction in the hurricane of September 1883. In 1885 the jetty was extended another 50 feet. In 1889 the Lighthouse Board reported that the shoals forming the continuation of Cape Fear for about 18 miles to the southeast were dreaded by ship masters only a little less than those at Cape Hatteras. The lightship, near the outer extremity of the shoals, warned vessels of danger and gave them a good point of departure, but was not sufficient to insure adequate protection because of the small area lighted by it, and its liability to being set adrift from its moorings during violent storms, at the very time it was most needed. The Cape Fear Light (Bald Head), on account of its inland position and want of height, did not cover the shoals and therefore did not give sufficient warning to vessels in case the lightship should drift from her moorings. The Board, therefore, recommended a first-order lighthouse, with a radius of 18 1/2 miles of light, about 150 feet high and costing $150,000 to be built on the pitch of Cape Fear. This recommendation was made each year thereafter until 1897, the estimate being revised downward to $70,000 in 1893. On July 1, 1898, Congress appropriated $35,000 for the new lighthouse, with authority to contract for another $35,000, followed by an appropriation for a similar amount on March 3,
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1901. A new skeleton tower was completed in 1903 on Smith Island and furnished with a first-order flashing lens apparatus. Upon completion of the new Cape Fear Light the old Cape Fear Station (Bald Head) was changed to a fourth-order fixed light and its name changed to Bald Head Light Station. The station was discontinued in 1935. A radiobeacon was established on the site in 1941.
BODIE ISLAND LIGHT
Location: 4 MILES NORTH OF OREGON INLET Station Established: 1847; 1859 & 1871 (restored) Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1872 Operational? YES Automated? YES 1954 Deactivated: n/a Foundation Materials: TIMBER/GRANITE/RUBBLE Construction Materials: BRICK/CAST IRON/STONE Tower Shape: CONICAL Height: 165-feet originally, 156-feet (existing third lighthouse) Markings/Pattern: WHITE & BLACK BANDS W/BLACK LANTERN Characteristics: White 2.5 seconds on, 2.5 seconds off, 2.5 seconds on, and 22.5 seconds eclipse with 2 cycles each minute. Relationship to Other Structure: SEPARATE Original Lens: FIRST ORDER, FRESNEL 1872 Foghorn: None
Historical Information:
1847: The contractor on the first project was Mr. Francis Gibbons, of Baltimore, who would later become a prominent lighthouse builder on the West Coast. Cost was $5,000.00 but problems with location and design of the tower caused a ten- year delay in construction. The tower was highly unstable and soon after it was completed, it began to lean toward the sea. 1859: By 1859, the Bodie Island Lighthouse was deteriorated and the Lighthouse Board secured a $25,000. Appropriation from Congress to erect a new tower. This new tower was 80 ft and its lantern was a third-order Fresnel lens. 1861: In the fall of 1861, Confederate troops stacked explosives inside the tower and blew it apart. 1871: A third Lighthouse was completed in 1871 with material left over from construction of a new tower at Cape Hatteras. Tower was 156 ft with a first-order
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Fresnel lens that made its light visible from 19 miles at sea. The Bodie tower is painted with white and black horizontal bands.
CAPE HATTERAS LIGHT
Location: N. OF CAPE HATTERAS POINT/OUTER BANKS Station Established: 1803 Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1870 Operational? YES Automated? YES 1936 Deactivated: n/a Foundation Materials: GRANITE/TIMBER/RUBBLE Construction Materials: BRICK Tower Shape: CONICAL W/BLACK LANTERN Markings/Pattern: WHITE AND BLACK SPIRAL/RED BRICK BASE Relationship to Other Structure: SEPARATE Original Lens: FIRST ORDER, FRESNEL 1870
Historical Information:
On July 10, 1797, Congress appropriated $44,000 "for erecting a lighthouse on the head land of Cape Hatteras and a lighted beacon on Shell Castle Island, in the harbor of Ocracoke in the State of North Carolina." The Cape Hatteras Lighthouse cost $14,302 to build and the Shell Castle Island Lighthouse was built from part of the surplus. Both were completed in 1803. The Cape Hatteras light marked very dangerous shoals which extend from the cape for a distance of 10 nautical miles. The original tower was built of dark sandstone and retained its natural color. The original light consisted of 18 lamps; with 14-inch reflectors, and was 112 feet above sea level. It was visible in clear weather for a distance of 18 miles. In July 1851, Lt. David D. Porter, USN, reported as follows: "Hatteras light, the most important on our coast is, without doubt, the worst light in the world. Cape Hatteras is the point made by all vessels going to the south, and also coming from that direction; the current of the Gulf Stream runs so close to the outer point of the shoals that vessels double as close round the breakers as possible, to avoid its influence. The only guide they have is the light, to tell them when up with the shoals; but I have always had so little confidence in it, that I have been guided by the lead, without the use of which, in fact, no vessel should pass Hatteras. The first nine trips I made I never saw Hatteras light at all, though frequently passing in sight of the breakers, and when I did see it, I could
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not tell it from a steamer’s light, excepting that the steamer’s lights are much brighter. It has improved much latterly, but is still a wretched light. It is all important that Hatteras should be provided with a revolving light of great intensity, and that the light be raised 15 feet higher than at present. Twenty-four steamship’s lights, of great brilliancy, pass this point in one month, nearly at the rate of one every night (they all pass at night) and it can be seen how easily a vessel may be deceived by taking a steamer’s light for a light on shore." The improvement in the light referred to had begun in 1845 when the reflectors were changed from 14 to 15 inch. In 1848 the 18 lamps were changed to 15 lamps with 21-inch reflectors and the light had become visible in clear weather at a distance of 20 miles. In 1854 a first-order Fresnel lens with flashing white light was substituted for the old reflecting apparatus, and the tower was raised to 150 feet. In 1860 the Lighthouse Board reported that Cape Hatteras Lighthouse required protection, due to the outbreak of the Civil War. In 1862 the Board reported "Cape Hatteras, lens and lantern destroyed, light reexhibited." Between 1867 and 1870 Congress appropriated $167,000 in three annual sums, for rebuilding Cape Hatteras Lighthouse. The new tower, from which the first- order light was first exhibited December 16, 1871, was the highest brick lighthouse tower in the world. It was 193 feet above ground and the focal height of the light 191 feet above water. The old tower "being no longer of any use and in danger of falling during some heavy storm" was blown up and totally destroyed in February 1872. In the spring of 1879 the tower was struck by lightning. Cracks subsequently appeared in the masonry walls, which was remedied by placing a metal rod to connect the iron work of the tower with an iron disk sunk in the ground. In 1912 the candlepower of the light was increased from 27,000 to 80,000. Ever since the completion of the new tower in 1870, there had begun a very gradual encroachment of the sea upon the beach. This did not become serious, however, until 1919, when the high water line had advanced to about 300 feet from the base of the tower. Since that time the surf had gnawed steadily toward the base of the tower until in 1935, the site was finally reached by the surf. Several attempts were made to arrest this erosion, but dikes and breakwaters had been of no avail. In 1935, therefore, the tower light was replaced by a light on a skeleton steel tower placed farther back from the sea on a sand dune, 166 feet above the sea, and visible for 19 miles. The old tower was then abandoned to the custody of the National Park Service. The Civilian Conservation Corps and Works Progress Administration erected a series of wooden revetments which checked the wash that was carrying away the beach. In 1942 the Coast Guard reassumed its control over the tower and manned it as a lookout station until 1945. The old tower was now 500 to 900 feet
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inland from the sea and again tenable as a site for the light which was placed in commission January 23, 1950. The new light consists of a 36-inch aviation-type rotating beacon of 250,000 candlepower, visible 20 miles, and flashing white every 15 seconds. The skeleton steel tower has been retained to guard against the time that the brick tower may again be endangered by erosion and thus require that the light again be moved. The National Park Service acquired ownership of the lighthouse when it was abandoned in1935. In 1950, when the structure was again found safe for use, new lighting equipment was installed. Now the Coast Guard owns and operates the navigational equipment, while the National Park Service maintains the tower as a historic structure. The Hatteras Island Visitor Center, formerly the Double Keepers Quarters located next to the lighthouse, elaborates on the Cape Hatteras story and man's lifestyle on the Outer Banks. Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, tallest in the United States, stands 208 feet from the bottom of the foundation to the peak of the roof. To reach the light which shines 191 feet above mean high water mark, a Coast Guardsman must climb 268 steps. There were approximately 1,250,000 bricks used in its construction.
CAPE LOOKOUT LIGHT
Location: CORE BANKS/CAPE LOOKOUT NS Station Established: 1812 Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1859 Operational? YES Automated? YES 1950 Deactivated: n/a Foundation Materials: WOOD PILINGS/DRESSED STONE Construction Materials: BRICK Tower Shape: CONICAL Markings/Pattern: B/W DIAGONALLY CHECKERED W/BLACK LANTERN Relationship to Other Structure: SEPARATE Original Lens: FIRST ORDER, FRESNEL 1859
Historical Information:
The Cape Lookout Lighthouse was completed in 1812 at a cost of $20,678.54 and had one wooden and one brick tower. The station was described in 1850, when William Fulford was keeper, as having 13 lamps, new lighting apparatus having been installed in 1848. The keeper was obliged, in 1850, to keep wheeling away sand from the front side of the keeper’s
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dwelling to prevent the sand from covering it up. "The sand banks," the report reads, "are now higher than the tops of the windows; and only a few feet from them, at high water mark. On the sea side, it has washed away about 100 feet last year by abrasion and sea flows." In 1851 Cape Lookout Lighthouse was reported as one of nine coast lights "which require to be improved. The towers of each of them should have an elevation of 150 feet above the level of the sea and should be fitted up in the best manner with first-order lens apparatus, to insure a brilliancy and range adequate to the wants of commerce. These lights are not sufficiently well distinguished, but a general plan for all the seacoast lights will best accomplish this object." On March 3, 1857, Congress appropriated $45,000 "for rebuilding and fitting out with first-order apparatus the lighthouse at Cape Lookout, North Carolina." The new lighthouse was completed and first lighted on November 1, 1859. During the Civil War, in 1862, the tower was damaged and the lens, etc., removed, but by 1863 the lighthouse had been refitted and the light reexhibited. A third-order lens was placed in use temporarily until the first-order lens, "injured by the rebels" could be repaired and restored in 1867. The lighthouse is now a black and white diagonally checkered tower, 169 feet above ground and 156 feet above feet water and shows a group flashing white electric light every 15 seconds of 80,000 candlepower, visible 19 miles, from a first-order lens.
CROATAN SHOAL LIGHT
Location: IN 8 FEET OF WATER, ON THE NORTHEASTERLY SIDE OF THE CHANNEL BETWEEN CROATAN AND ALBEMARLE SOUNDS Station Established: 1835 Year Last Tower(s) First Lit: 1887 Operational: No Automated: ? Deactivated: ? Tower Shape / Markings / Pattern: White square screw-pile structure, with green shutters; piles and roof, brown; lantern, black. Fog bell on westerly side of roof. Height: 40' Original Lens: Fourth Order Characteristic: Fixed white with a fixed red sector between W. 7/8N. and NW. 3/8 N. Fog Signal: Bell; bell struck by machinery every 15 seconds
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CURRITUCK BEACH LIGHT
Location: Outer Banks--Whale Bay, near village of Corolla Station Established: 1873 Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1875 Operational? YES Automated? YES 1939 Deactivated: n/a Foundation Materials: Timber & brick Construction Materials: Brick Tower Shape: Conical attached to "Repair Room." Markings/Pattern: Natural red brick with black lantern Relationship to Other Structure: Characteristics: 20 second cycle-3 on, 17 off Original Lens: First Order, Polygonal Fresnel, 1875
Historical Information:
1875:1 December: Beacon was first lit. 1876: The Victorian "stick style" keeper's house was completed. 1920: An 1870's dwelling was moved from the Long Point Lighthouse Station to the site as a smaller keeper's residence. 1939: Light was automated under USCG control. 2001: The Coast Guard determined the Currituck Beach Lighthouse to be excess. Currituck Light was among the first lighthouses to be excessed after the passage of National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act (NHLPA). The Historical Services Administration deeded the keeper's house and the land around the house to the state of North Carolina. The lighthouse remained the property of the federal government. Keeper's house was empty, decaying and open to the elements for further deterioration and vandalism. The Outer Banks Conservationists, Inc. signed a 50 year lease with the state of North Carolina to begin restoring the property. The lighthouse was reopened to the public. The Outer Banks Conservationists, Inc. continued to maintain and restore the structures on the lighthouse property. On 17 October 2003 the deed to the lighthouse was transferred to the Outer Banks Conservationists, Inc., through the auspices of the NHLPA.
The historical information was researched and written by Diane Hackney, a Chesapeake Chapter of the U.S. Light House Society volunteer.
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DIAMOND SHOAL LIGHT
Location: NORTH CAROLINA SEACOAST Station Established: 1891 Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1966 Operational? NO; extinguished in December 2001 Automated? YES; 1977 Deactivated: n/a Foundation Materials: STEEL PILINGS Construction Materials: STEEL Tower Shape: SKELETAL W/CYLINDRICAL COLUMN Markings/Pattern: ORANGE TOWER ON WHITE SQUARE SUPERSTRUCTURE Relationship to Other Structure: INTEGRAL Original Lens: DCB 224
Historical Information:
The Diamond Shoal "Texas Tower" was originally constructed and placed in operation in 1966 and was automated in 1977. Since that time the structure deteriorated to such an extent that the light was formally extinguished in December of 2001. The "Texas Tower" structure is scheduled to be demolished.
FRYING PAN SHOALS LIGHT
NORTH CAROLINA SEACOAST Station Established: 1879 Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1964 Operational? YES Automated? YES;1979 Deactivated: n/a Foundation Materials: STEEL PILINGS Construction Materials: STEEL Tower Shape: SQUARE Markings/Pattern: GREEN TOWER ON YELLOW HOUSE/BLACK PILES Relationship to Other Structure: INTEGRAL Original Lens: DCB 224
Historical Information:
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The Frying Pan Shoals "Texas Tower" was originally constructed and placed in operation in 1964 and was automated in 1979. Since that time the structure deteriorated to such an extent that the light has been formally extinguished and the "Texas Tower" structure is scheduled to be demolished.
LAUREL POINT LIGHT
LAUREL POINT, SOUTH SIDE OF ALBEMARLE SOUND, NORTH CAROLINA Station Established: 1880 Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: UNKNOWN Operational? NO Automated? YES Deactivated: N/A Foundation Materials: IRON SCREWPILE Construction Materials: WOOD Tower Shape: HEXAGONAL Markings/Pattern: WHITE WITH BLACK LANTERN Relationship to Other Structure: ATTACHED Original Lens: FOURTH ORDER FRESNEL
Historical Information:
The Laurel Point Lighthouse was built in 1880. It was screwpile type lighthouse which meant it was cottage in open water resting upon large iron “screws”. It was almost identical to the Gull Shoal Lighthouse also in North Carolina. The cottage was destroyed in the 1950’s. A modern beacon sits on the foundation of the original light and is an active aid to navigation.
Researched and written by Melissa Buckler, a volunteer through the Chesapeake Chapter of the U.S. Lighthouse Society.
LONG POINT BEACON LIGHT (No. 8)
LONG POINT, COINJOCK BAY, CURRITUCK, NORTH CAROLINA Station Established: 1879 Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1901 Operational? NO Automated? NO
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Deactivated: N/A Foundation Materials: UNKNOWN Construction Materials: UNKNOWN Tower Shape: LANTERN ON A POLE Markings/Pattern: UNKNOWN Relationship to Other Structure: SPERATE Original Lens: UNKNOWN
Historical Information:
Virtually no information exists regarding Long Point Light . It was deactivated in 1901 and the keeper’s quarters were moved to the Currituck Light Station on the Outer Banks of North Carolina in the 1920’s. At that site it was so overgrown no one knew it was there until renovations began. It now serves as the museum gift shop.
Researched and written by Melissa Buckler, a volunteer through the Chesapeake Chapter of the U.S. Lighthouse Society.
NEUSE RIVER LIGHT
PINEY POINT, ENTRANCE OF NEUSE RIVER FROM PAMLICO SOUND, NORTH CAROLINA Station Established: 1828 Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1862 Operational? NO Automated? NO Deactivated: UNKNOWN Foundation Materials: IRON SCREWPILE Construction Materials: WOODEN Tower Shape: COTTAGE Markings/Pattern: WHITE SQUARE COTTAGE WITH BROWN ROOF AND BLACK LANTERN Relationship to Other Structure: ATTACHED Original Lens: FIFTH ORDER FRESNEL
Historical Information:
There is no available history regarding the Neuse River Lighthouse.
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Researched and written by Melissa Buckler, a volunteer through the Chesapeake Chapter of the U.S. Lighthouse Society.
OAK ISLAND LIGHT
Oak Island, NC Location: Oak Island Coast Guard Station; between Caswell Beach and Fort Caswell Station Established: 1958 Year Current Tower First Lit: 1958 Operational: Automated: 1958 Deactivated: no Foundation Materials: concrete with steel pilings Construction Materials: concrete Tower Shape: cylindrical Height: 148’ Markings/Pattern: gray, white and black Relationship to Other Structure: detached Original Lens: carbon-arc mercury lamps in 36-inch reflectors Height of Focal Plane: 24 miles Appropriation: $110,000
Historical Information:
The height of Oak Island Light is reported to be 169 feet on nautical reports, however, the actual height of the tower itself is 148 feet. The tower stands on a slight rise, making the height of the light above the water level to be 169 feet. Instead of a spiral staircase, this tower has a series of ships ladders that takes you to the lantern gallery level. There is a total of 131 steps. The base is made up of 24 concrete filled steel pilings. Each steel piling is 10 ¾ inches in diameter and 67 feet deep. Pilings are capped by a 30’ wide by 3’ deep octagonal concrete base. Main tower is 128’ tall and built with monolithic reinforced concrete. The inside of the tower has a uniform diameter of 16 feet 4 ¾ inches. The wall is 8” thick. The tower has a three stripe color pattern. The first forty feet is natural gray of Portland cement. The next fifty feet was poured with white Portland cement and white quartz. The top fifty two feet was poured with gray Portland cement with black coloring. The small concrete section at the top was formed with stationary metal forms after the top floor was poured.
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Tower windows were constructed of stainless steel, but the sashes have since been replaced with vinyl. Aluminum lantern room stands at 11 feet tall, and was installed by Marine Corps helicopters. Flashing pattern for the light is four one-second flashes every 10 seconds. The light in Oak Island Lighthouse is made up of 8 aero beacon lighting fixtures, 4 on top and 4 on the bottom. When the light was activated in 1958, the lower bank used carbon-arc mercury lamps in 36” reflectors. The reflectors and their housings were adapted from aircraft spotlights used in World War II. When these lamps were used, Oak Island was the second brightest light in the world. The upper banks of lights comprised of 24” theatrical lights and 1,000 watt Quartz lamps and eventually became the primary beacon. Oak Island lost this distinction once the upper bank of lights became the primary beacon. The property on which Oak Island Light sits has been a U.S. Coast Guard station since the 1930’s, and was a U.S. Lifesaving Station prior to that. In 2002, a new Coast Guard station was built after the old station was destroyed by a fire. The new station closely resembles the old station, and was rebuilt over the foundation of the lost station. The lighthouse and surrounding property were deeded to the Town of Caswell Beach in 2004, as well as the adjacent beachfront property. The Coast Guard has retained responsibility for the upkeep of the lights, while Caswell Beach has the responsibility for maintaining the lighthouse and the grounds. The town has created additional parking as well as providing access to the lighthouse grounds. Boardwalk access to the beach and an observation deck has been added as well. Summer 2007: Friends of Oak Island Lighthouse assembled volunteers to provide regular weekly access to the inside of the tower. The town has made provisions for additional parking as well as providing access to the lighthouse grounds and a boardwalk access to the beach with an observation deck. During the summer of 2007, the Friends of Oak Island Lighthouse began assembling volunteers and providing regular weekly access to the inside of the tower.
Researched and written by Jamie Smith, a volunteer through the Chesapeake Chapter of the U.S. Lighthouse Society.
OCRACOKE ISLAND LIGHT
Location: OCRACOKE INLET/OUTER BANKS Station Established: 1803
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Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1823 Operational? YES Automated? YES 1955 Deactivated: n/a Foundation Materials: DRESSED STONE/TIMBER Construction Materials: BRICK W/MORTAR SURFACE Tower Shape: CONICAL Markings/Pattern: WHITE Relationship to Other Structure: SEPARATE Original Lens: FOURTH ORDER, FRESNEL 1854
Historical Information:
As a consequence of the invitation held out by the act of August 7, 1789, and other similar acts of Congress, various cessions of lighthouses, beacons, buoys, public piers, and lots of land for lighthouses were made from time to time by the various States, vesting the property, jurisdiction, and sometimes both, or right of occupancy in the Government of the United States. On February 7, 1795, land necessary for a lighted beacon on Shell Castle Island (later known as Beacon Island) was turned over to the United States by the State of North Carolina and in a deed from J. G. Blount and John Wallace bearing the date of November 29, 1797, for a lot on Shell Castle Island, it was stipulated "that no goods should be stored, no tavern kept, no spirits retailed, no merchandise to be carried on, and that no person should reside on, or make it a stand to pilot or lighter vessels." The first lighted beacon at Ocracoke was built on Shell Castle Island in the year 1798, and was erected in connection with the lighthouse on Cape Hatteras. This was authorized on July 10, 1797. Further appropriations for this beacon were made in 1800, 1803, and 1808. On May 15, 1820, Congress appropriated $14,000 "for building a lighthouse on Shell Castle Island, in the State of North Carolina, or, in lieu thereof, a light vessel to be moored in a proper place near said island if, in the opinion of the Secretary of the Treasury, the latter shall be preferred." A total of $6,625 was spent in 1820 and 1821 for this purpose. "In process of time" Mr. S. Pleasonton, Fifth Auditor of the Treasury, later wrote "the channel leading in and out of Ocracoke left the lighthouse the distance of a mile, so as to render it altogether useless. The fact being made known to Congress, an appropriation was made of $20,000 for building another near the channel, and this was built in 1823, by Noah Porter, of Massachusetts, for $11,359.35." This light was built on Ocracoke Island under a congressional authorization dated May 7, 1822. It was built on 2 acres of land sold to the United States for $50 on December 5, 1822, by Jacob Gaskell, jurisdiction being ceded to the United States by the North Carolina General Assembly on December 28, 1822.
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The 1854 report of the Lighthouse Board indicated that at Ocracoke Island a fourth-order Fresnel fixed white light was substituted for the old reflecting illuminating apparatus. In 1857 the Board reported "The Ocracoke channel light vessel and the Beacon Island lighthouse, at the same place have, several times, been reported by this Board as useless and their discontinuance recommended. The erection of a small beacon light at the Ocracoke main light station, to serve as a range light, at a cost, if authorized, of not over $750, and to form a part of the present light station at Ocracoke, will fully subserve the wants of the present and prospective navigation of that inlet much better than by keeping up the Ocracoke Channel and Nine Feet Shoal light vessel, and Beacon Island lighthouse, at an annual saving of between $5,000 and $10,000." Congress appropriated the $750 for the beacon range light on Ocracoke Island on March 3, 1859, "provided that the lighthouse on Beacon Island and Ocracoke Light vessel be discontinued after the erection and exhibition of the aforesaid beacon light." In 1862 the Beacon Island light tower was still standing but the lens had been removed. Meanwhile new Franklin lamps had been substituted for valve lamps in the Ocracoke Lighthouse. In 1899 new model fourth-order lamps were supplied. The present white tower, on Ocracoke Island and built in 1823, stands 76 feet above the ground and 75 feet above water and the 8,000-candlepower, fourth- order fixed-white electric light is visible for 14 miles.
PAMLICO POINT SHOAL LIGHT
Location: IN 11 FEET OF WATER, ON THE EASTERLY POINT OF THE SHOAL MAKING OUT FROM PAMLICO POINT, SOUTHERLY SIDE OF THE ENTRANCE TO PAMLICO RIVER Station Established: 1891 Year Last Tower(s) First Lit: 1891 Operational: No Automated: ? Deactivated: Yes Tower Shape / Markings / Pattern: White hexagonal screw-pile structure; piles and roof, brown; blinds, green; lantern, black. Height: 43-1/2' Original Lens: Fourth Order Characteristic: Fixed white Fog Signal: Bell struck by machinery every 10 seconds
Historical Information:
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A single brick tower was built on shore in 1828. In 1891 a new lantern on roof of hexagonal cottage, screw pile foundation was put in place. In the 1950s the light was deactivated and replaced by a modern automatic beacon.
Researched and written by Andrew Gray, a volunteer through the Chesapeake Chapter of the U.S. Lighthouse Society.
PRICE'S CREEK LIGHT
Price’s Creek, NC Station Established: 1848 Year Current Tower First Lit: 1849 Operational: no Automated: Deactivated: Foundation Materials: Construction Materials: brick Location: Southport, NC Tower Shape: tapered tower Height: 20’ Markings/Pattern: Relationship to Other Structure: Original Lens: Height of Focal Plane: 25’ Appropriation:
Historical Information:
Considered a range light, and was built as part of a pair to guide merchants and mariners along Cape Fear River. Price’s Creek Light is the only light still standing along the Cape Fear River, and is considered a front range light. The base of the tower has a thickness of three feet, while the top of the tower has a thickness of two feet. The diameter of the circular tower starts out at seventeen feet and shrinks to nine feet at the top. Originally fitted with eight lamps and eight 14 inch reflectors. Eventually replaced with a sixth order Fresnel lens and had a fixed white light. It’s sister light is located around 700-800 feet upriver and served as keepers quarters. The keepers quarters was a larger, square brick structure with a lantern room on top, and the overall height was 35 feet. Samuel C. Mason was appointed as the first lightkeeper, but never took up the post. John Bell was then appointed to the post and officially became the first lightkeeper at Price’s Creek. During the Civil War, Price’s Creek Light served as a Confederate signal station. It aided blockade runners in navigating the river and being identified to the shore batteries. The keeper’s house was turned into a signal station, and provided communication between Fort Caswell and Fort Fisher. The Union eventually gained complete control of the coast, which forced the Confederates to retreat inland.
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U.S. Coast Guard Historian’s Office
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Confederate soldiers would dismantle or destroy as many lights as they could in order to let the lights remain under the command of their enemy. This included Price’s Creek Light. All of the river lights had been replaced by unattended beacons by the late 1880?s. Sits on private property and is not open or accessible to the public. The owner has repaired cannon damage from the Civil War, and also repaired some structural decay. The lighthouse is still missing its glass and iron lamp top. After the war, the lighthouses along the Cape Fear River were deemed unnecessary and were decommissioned, perhaps due to the crippled Southern economy. The rear range light at Price’s Creek had sustained storm damage by the end of the century that it was torn down. Bricks from the tower were hauled away and used by locals. The only light to remain standing is the front range light at Price’s Creek, but it is in a state of disrepair. The lantern room is gone, there are missing windows, and the property is privately owned.
Researched and written by Jamie Smith, a volunteer through the Chesapeake Chapter of the U.S. Lighthouse Society.
ROANOKE MARSHES LIGHT
Location: IN 13 FEET OF WATER, ON THE EASTERLY SIDE AND ABOUT MIDWAY OF THE NARROW CHANNEL CONNECTING PAMLICO AND CROATAN SOUNDS Station Established: 1857 Year Last Tower(s) First Lit: 1877 Operational: No Automated: ? Deactivated: 1955 Tower Shape / Markings / Pattern: White square crew-pile structure; piles and roof, brown; lantern, black. Two clusters of piles to northward and two to southward of light- house. Height: 37' Original Lens: Fourth Order Characteristic: Fixed white with a fixed red sector between S. 7/8 E. and S. 1/2 E. Fog Signal: Blower siren; blasts 8 seconds, silent intervals 1-1/2 seconds
ROANOKE RIVER LIGHT
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U.S. Coast Guard Historian’s Office
Preserving Our History For Future Generations
Location: EDENTON, RELOCATED FROM ABERMARLE SOUND Station Established: 1831 Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1903 Operational? NO Automated? UNK Deactivated: 1941 Foundation Materials: ORIG. IRON SCREW PILE; REPLICA-RECTANGULAR Construction Materials: WOOD Tower Shape: SQUARE Markings/Pattern: WHITE TOWER ON BROWN PILES Relationship to Other Structure: INTEGRAL Original Lens: FOURTH ORDER, FRESNEL
Historical Information:
Current light is a replica, and can be reached by a short pier. The original light stood offshore between the southern end of Roanoke Island and the mainland. It marked the southern entrance to Croatan Sound from Pamilco Sound. The replica lighthouse is the fourth lighthouse with the name Roanoke Marshes. The first lighthouse was built by Lucius Lyon of Michigan and began service in 1831. After eight years, the light was abandoned due to needing extensive repairs. A man by the name of Mr. Van Pelt claimed the title to the land on which the lighthouse stood. Work on a new structure did not begin until 1857. The dwelling was hexagonal shaped and surmounted by a lantern room. It was supported by seven piles that were anchored in the seabed. J.M. Daniel and J.B. Casey were the first principal and assistant keeper, respectively, of the second lighthouse. The second light was lit on April 15, 1858. By 1876, the second light was deemed unsafe. The wooden support piles suffered significant worm damage, and the lighthouse had been flooded on a couple of occasions. The third lighthouse was modeled after the second structure, and was built 100 yards to the south-southeast. The lighthouse was a square structure and supported by seven screwpiles. It stood in nine feet of water. The light was activated in 1877. It first displayed a fixed red light, but later changed to a fixed white light with a rd sector from within its lantern room. A fog bell was later added to the station. It struck one blow every twelve seconds by machinery. A compressed air siren eventually replaced the fog bell, but was kept in case the siren was disabled. The third lighthouse was decommissioned by the Coast Guard in 1955. It was suggested that the town of Manteo purchase the lighthouse and relocate it to their waterfront. Before the town acted, a private citizen named Elijah Tate purchased the lighthouse along with two other screwpile lighthouses in the area.
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U.S. Coast Guard Historian’s Office
Preserving Our History For Future Generations
The structure was cut from its foundation and placed on a barge to be transported to its new location. Not far from the original site, rough seas caused the lighthouse to fall off the barge and sink into the water. The effort to retrieve the submerged lighthouse was deemed too great, so the structure was abandoned. The town of Manteo decided to build a replica of the lighthouse as a “bricks and mortar” component of their 1999 centennial celebration. The completion date was pushed back considerably due to funding delays, objections by the US Army Corps of engineers, and Hurricane Isabel. On September 25, 2004, the replica was dedicated, along with George Washington Creef Boathouse, and opened to the public. The replica lighthouse stands where the town’s wastewater treatment place formerly stood. The Coast Guard has loaned an historic fourth-order Fresnel lens for display in the lantern room. The North Carolina Maritime Museum on Roanoke Island operates the lighthouse.
Researched and written by Jamie Smith, a volunteer through the Chesapeake Chapter of the U.S. Lighthouse Society.
WADE POINT LIGHT
Location: IN 8 FEET OF WATER, ON THE SHOAL MAKING OFF FROM WADE POINT, ABOUT 3-3/4 MILES TO THE EASTWARD OF THE POINT, AND ON THE WESTERLY SIDE OF THE ENTRANCE TO PASQUOTANK RIVER, NORTHERLY SIDE OF THE ALBEMARLE SOUND Station Established: 1826 Year Last Tower(s) First Lit: 1899 Operational: No Automated: No Deactivated: 1955 Tower Shape / Markings / Pattern: White, square, screw-pile structure; piles and roof, brown; lantern, black. Old pile structure adjacent and connected by a foot-bridge. Height: 39' Original Lens: Fourth Order Characteristic: Fixed white Fog Signal:
Historical Information:
Wade Point Lighthouse served as the Pasquotank River’s sentinel for almost 100 years.
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U.S. Coast Guard Historian’s Office
Preserving Our History For Future Generations
The lighthouse was a 26 foot square building that stood atop 5 steel pilings with the floor about 12 feet above the water’s surface. 1862: The original lighthouse was burned by Union forces during the Civil War. It was not rebuilt until after the war. In 1955, the US Coast Guard decommissioned it and sold it to Elijah Tate from Coinjock for $1.00. The structure was moved by barge along the Pasquotank River, but fell off during a storm. The pilings are still visible off Camden Point.
Researched and written by Jamie Smith, a volunteer through the Chesapeake Chapter of the U.S. Lighthouse Society.
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