Lighting up the Outer Banks
Lighthouses are some of the oldest historical sites in the United States. The Outer Banks of North Carolina is home to some of the most dangerous waters which have led to the perils of numerous ships. This area received the notorious nickname, the “Graveyard of the Atlantic.” The lighthouses were constructed to help aid these vessels through the turbulent waters. The emergence of lighthouses was crucial to the area of the Outer Banks. The lighthouses that reside in the Outer Banks are the Bodie Island Lighthouse, the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, the Currituck Beach Lighthouse, the Ocracoke lighthouse, and the Roanoke Marshes Lighthouse. In this blog we will focus on the Bodie Island Lighthouse and the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse.
The Bodie Island Lighthouse was first constructed in 1848 under the direction of Thomas Blount. Blount had not had any experience in building a lighthouse. His inexperience was evident when 2 years after completion the tower began to lean due to its unsupported brick foundation. The problem got worse and led to the abandonment of the lighthouse in 1859. The second attempt at the Bodie Island Lighthouse took place that same year. Again the lighthouse fell victim to an early demise due to the Civil War. In 1861, two years after completion, the Confederate forces feared that the Union forces would use the lighthouse as an observation point. To prevent the Union forces from using the lighthouse to their advantage, they blew it up. For the next decade the shoreline remained dark. In 1871, after frequent petitions by ship captains, construction on the third Bodie Island Lighthouse began. To this day the lighthouse is still functional and plays an important role for guiding ships around the Outer Banks.
The most famous of lighthouses in the Outer Banks is the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse. The first Cape Hatteras Lighthouse was constructed in 1803. The tower was built of sandstone and only stood 90 feet high. In the mid 1800’s countless ship captains were complaining that the light beacon from the Cape Hatteras lighthouse could not be seen causing many dangers. During the Civil War, the Federate forces were concerned that the Union forces would use this Lighthouse as well as the Bodie island Lighthouse to their advantage. In 1861, instead of destroying it, they stole the lens and caused it to be completely non-functional. Although in 1862 a new lens was put in and light was working again. However, due to the damage it sustained, it was decided that it would be cheaper to build a brand new lighthouse. This new lighthouse was completed in 1870 and is still the tallest in the nation standing at 225 feet. The beacon from its light could be seen for 20 miles out to sea. Due to land erosions caused by encroaching sea water, the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse was moved 2900 feet away from the shore in June of 1999. It took 23 days to move the lighthouse the entire distance. The Cape Hatteras Lighthouse is currently fully operational and remains open to the public.
The Lighthouses of the Outer Banks have helped countless ships navigate the “Graveyard of the Atlantic.” They really are a sight to see and I recommend visiting them to anyone traveling to the Outer Banks of North Carolina. In the next blog post I will explore the other lighthouses of the Outer Banks.
Labels: Lighthouse, Outer Banks
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