South Carolina - Hunting Island Lighthouse

The Hunting Island Lighthouse is located 14-miles southeast of Beaufort, SC.

The first lighthouse on the island was built in 1859 at a height of 95-feet, but was short lived. By 1862 it was reported to have fallen into the sea. Conflicting stories make it unclear whether it was destroyed by erosion or actually blown up by the Confederate Army during the Civil War.

In 1875 a new tower was constructed of interchangeable cast-iron sections so that it could be taken apart if necessary. Due to the aggressive high tides and erosion, the tower was disassembled in 1889 and reassembled at its current site, one and a quarter miles from where the original tower was located. This lighthouse was built on a concrete foundation eight-feet thick. From the ground to the top of the tower is 140-feet, and there are 181-steps to reach the top. The tower itself is 121-feet high and the walls are lined with brick. A second-order Fresnel lens was used until its retirement in 1933.

At the time of my visit here in 2000, the light was inactive. The lighthouse was part of the Hunting Island State Park and was open daily to the public for viewing and climbing the stairs. The red brick in the foreground of my picture, outlines the foundation where the keeper's quarters was located prior to being destroyed by fire.

North Carolina - Bodie Island Lighthouse

This lighthouse is located just north of the Oregon Inlet Bridge. (Pea Island), NC. It is the third lighthouse to be built on Bodie Island. The first lighthouse was built in 1847 at a height of 54-feet. Light for the lighthouse was provided by a series of lanterns and reflectors. The foundation of that lighthouse failed after 11 years.

The second lighthouse was built in 1859 with the tower rising 80-feet and equipped with a third-order Fresnel lens. During the Civil War the lighthouse was damaged to the extent that it was inoperable and not cost effective to restore.

Construction of this third lighthouse was completed in 1872. Height of tower and lantern room is 164-feet. The lantern room houses a first-order Fresnel lens which is lit from dusk to dawn. In 1940 the light was automated. Day-marking of this lighthouse is black and white horizontal stripes. At the time of my visit here in 2000, the base of the tower was open to the public intermittently and the Keeper's Quarters was open seasonally.

North Carolina - Currituck Beach Lighthouse

The Currituck Beach Lighthouse is located at Corolla, NC on Currituck Banks. This is the state's northern-most lighthouse. Construction of this 162-foot tower was completed in 1875. This lighthouse was the last brick lighthouse to be built on the Outer Banks. Unlike many other lighthouses that received distinctive day-marks, Currituck was not painted. The lantern room houses a first-order Fresnel lens. In 1939 the lens was automated which eliminated the need for keepers and their use of the keepers dwelling.

At the time of my visit here in 2000, the Fresnel lens was active and the light lit daily from dusk to dawn. The lighthouse was open to the public and one could climb the 214-steps to the top gallery/lantern room. The light and its adjacent buildings are owned by "The Outer Banks Conservationist Group", a private organization.

North Carolina - Cape Hatteras Lighthouse

The Cape Hatteras Lighthouse is located on Cape Hatteras National Seashore, Outer Banks, NC. This is the second lighthouse to be built near this present location.

The original Cape Hatteras Lighthouse was built in 1803 of sandstone and stood 90-feet high near the shore line. Its light was provided by a series of lamps and reflectors. In 1852 that tower was raised to a height of 150-feet and a first-order Fresnel lens was installed in 1854 to replace the lamps and reflectors. During the civil war, the lighthouse was badly damaged, and authorities determined it would be less expensive in the long run to build a new lighthouse.

This lighthouse is built of brick and construction was completed in 1870. It towers 208-feet above the sand and is the tallest in the U.S. Its distinctive day-mark of four spirals, two black and two white, extend around the tower 1 and 1/2 times. This marking was first applied in 1873. The signal light is now provided by a duplex airport beacon. This is an active light and operates from dusk to dawn.

Cape Hatteras Lighthouse was relocated 2900-feet inland during the summer of 1999 due to shoreline erosion. I was able to see a time elapsed movie of that very slow and difficult move. It was amazing to see how workers moved that huge towering lighthouse without allowing it to topple. At the time of my visit here in June 2000, the lighthouse was open to the public. However, the keeper's quarters which houses a museum, exhibit area, and gift shop was not yet open to the public. Some work was still in progress as a result of moving the lighthouse. Example is the orange fence around a portion of the lighthouse and the graded landscape in the foreground of my picture.

North Carolina - Ocracoke Lighthouse

The Ocracoke Lighthouse is located in the community of Ocracoke, NC. This lighthouse, built in 1823, is the second oldest one still operating on the North Carolina coast. Since the 76-foot tower was lighted, it has been painted white. Unlike the other NC lighthouses that are much larger, this lighthouse was built for navigators to locate the Ocracoke Inlet. The original light was provided by a series of lanterns and reflectors. These were replaced in 1854 by a fourth-order Fresnel lens. It displays a "constant light" which means there is no rotation or blinking. The light operates from sunset to dawn and can be seen for 14-miles. The light is part of Cape Hatteras National Seashore. At the time of my visit here in 2000, the lighthouse and the keeper's quarters was closed to the public. The keeper's quarters was a private residence. Ocracoke Island could be reached from Cedar Island by a 2-1/4 hour ferry ride, or from Hatteras Island by a 40-minute ferry ride.