Outer Banks Lighthouses

The Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, standing at 208 feet, is the tallest in the United States. The lighthouse is painted in black and white spirals, with a red base. Its light can be seen for 20 miles, warning ships of the submerged sand bars where so many ships have foundered. The present lighthouse is the second of three that have been situated on the cape. The first was authorized by Congress in 1794 and completed ten years later, shining a weak beam out over the ocean. Shells from Union ships damaged the light in 1861, and retreating Confederate soldiers took the original lamp from this first lighthouse. The lamp was never found. The present structure, the second tower, was erected in 1869-1870 by the U.S. Lighthouse Board. The Lighthouse Board became the Lighthouse Service, which is now part of the U.S. Coast Guard. A first-order Fresnel lens magnified a small oil wick flame at the tower's top, which was lit for the first time on December 16, 1870. Vandals damaged the lens in the present structure when the Federal Government abandoned it in 1935. A third temporary structure was built of steel in 1936 and placed about two miles northeast in Buxton. The light from the temporary tower was moved to the present lighthouse on July 23, 1950, which put it back into operation. When reactivated, it was replaced by a rotating beacon--a double affair with 1000-watt lamps in each beacon--visible for 20 miles. However, it has been reported as being seen 51 miles at sea and 115 miles in the air. The ''Double Keeper's Quarters'' is used to house the ''Museum of the Sea'' and the Buxton Visitor Center.

The Currituck Beach Lighthouse stands 158 feet above the dunes, with a first order fresnel lens flashing its first beacon on December 1, 1875. Located in Corolla, NC, its was built to fill the last remaining dark spot of the NC coast between Bodie Island to the south and Cape Henry, VA to the north. To distinguish it from other regional lighthouses, it was left unpainted in natural red brick.

The Bodie Island Light, encircled by two black and three white bands, stands 150 feet high. Equipped with a first-order Fresnel lens, it flashes its 160,000 candlepower beacon 19 miles over the ocean. Originally built in 1847, the lighthouse was rebuilt with improvements in 1859. The name Bodie was originally spelled Body and is still pronounced body.

The Outer Banks' newest attraction. Dedicated on September 25, 2004, the lighthouse contains exhibits highlighting Roanoke Island's maritime heritage, including a history of the Marshes Lighthouse and its keepers. The original screw-pile lighthouse was located in Croatan Sound on the west side of Roanoke Island. Built in 1877, it was decommissioned by the US Coast Guard in 1955.

Located in the fishing village of Ocracoke on the island of Ocracoke, this is the oldest operating lighthouse in North Carolina and is equipped with a fourth-order Fresnel lens. The lighthouse was cemented and whitewashed in 1868, giving it the appearance it has today.

For more information about North Carolina lighthouses, click here.