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Cape Hatteras, NC Lighthouse
As early as the 1500's, when ships depended on wind for power, mariners learned to take advantage of ocean currents. North- and eastbound vessels followed the Gulf Stream. Southbound ships followed the Virginia Coastal Current. In each case, ships passed close by the Outer Banks and the treacherous Diamond and Frying Pan Shoals of Cape Hatteras and Cape Lookout.
In 1797, Congress recognized the need for a navigational aid in the vicinity of Diamond Shoals at Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, and authorized the erection of a lighthouse. The first light-house was completed in 1803 and stood about one mile inland from the ocean beach. It was considered less than satisfactory from the time it first came into service, as it was only 90 feet high, and the light was inadequate. In 1854, its height was increased to 150 feet, and a first-order Fresnel lens, the best available, was installed. However, problems with the structure persisted. Inspections in the late 1860's showed growing cracks in the sandstone structure, and construction of a new lighthouse was recommended.
The second (and existing) Hatteras Lighthouse was activated in December 1870, and the original structure was razed. The new light towered 208 feet in height and was located 1,500 feet from the water's edge. With its distinctive black and white candy-cane design, it soon became a landmark of the Carolina coastline. It is the tallest lighthouse in the United States, and has served as a primary navigational aid for mariners rounding the treacher-ous Diamond Shoals. Because of its historical importance to the region and the nation, the lighthouse and its associated station buildings have been placed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Cape Hatteras Lighthouse
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Cape Hatteras Lighthouse 7 3/4"x11 7/8"
MBTWALL06: $195.00 • |
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Bodie Island, NC Lighthouse
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 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 - The Bodie Island Lighthouse had deteriorated and the Lighthouse Board secured a $25,000 appropriation from Congress to erect a new tower. This new tower was 80 ft (24 m). 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 partially with material left over from construction of a new tower at Cape Hatteras. The tower was 156 ft (48 m). with a first order Fresnel lens that made its light visible for 18 nautical miles (33 km). The Bodie tower is painted with white and black horizontal bands.
Bodie Island Lighthouse
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Bodie Island Lighthouse 8"x12"
MBT/WALL11: $145.00 |
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Currituck Beach, NC Lighthouse
In December 1, 1875, the Currituck Beach Light was completed, located between Cape Henry Light and Bodie Island. Unlike its fellows, Currituck Beach Light was not painted, leaving its brick facade visible. In 1939, the lighthouse was automated following a merger of the United States Coast Guard with the Bureau of Lighthouses.
The Outer Banks Conservationists (OBC) performed much of the reconstruction and refurbishing work since 1980 through private funding and volunteer work. Since 1991 visitors have been allowed to climb the original 214 steps to the outdoor gallery. Access to the lens room is not permitted as the first order lens is not only the original lens, but it is still a functioning one. The light comes on every night and shines from 158 feet at 20-second intervals to warn ships hugging the chain of barrier islands along the coast.
In 2003 the Federal Government granted OBC the title to the lighthouse itself. The Coast Guard approved OBC’s ownership proposal over that of an application submitted by Currituck County (the county in which the lighthouse is located). Through state and federal legislative maneuvering, the county sued OBC to try to acquire the property. The case was finally settled in 2006. OBC remains the owner of the Currituck Beach Lighthouse.
Currituck Beach Lighthouse
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Currituck Beach Lighthouse 8"x12"
MBT/WALL12: $145.00 |
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