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Lighthouses of the Outer Banks In Pictures
There are five lighthouses
on the Outer Banks. All of them are major attractions for visitor.
Click on any picture below to see
a larger image. All color photos below by Fred Hurteau. |
Currituck
Beach Light
is the northernmost Outer Banks lighthouse, located at Corolla.
It is an unpainted red brick structure rising 162 feet. It was completed in
1875 and went into service the same year.
It was inaccessible to the general public in 1973, when the rest of the photos
were taken for this web site, because there was no highway to Corolla. Reaching
it required a private boat trip or a utility vehicle to drive the sandy road
and beach northward. But in 1984 Highway
12 was extended to Corolla, and now visitors flock to the lighthouse each year.
The public is permitted to climb this lighthouse for a nominal fee. These photos
of Currituck Beach (Corolla) Lighthouse were taken in October of 2003.
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Visitors have a great
view of Currituck Sound, the Whalehead Club and the beach from the gallery
atop Currituck Beach Lighthouse. This lighthouse and grounds are well maintained,
and the staff is very cordial. The Whalehead Club directly adjacent to the
lighthouse
grounds is an added scenic treat. More details and new photos of Corolla
Light Station are available on our sister site, OuterBanksGuidebook.com,
on the Currituck
Beach Lighthouse page.
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Bodie
Island Lighthouse is just north of Oregon Inlet. It
is the third lighthouse by that name. The first, built in 1848, had a poor
foundation and soon had to be abandoned. The second was built in the style
of the modern lighthouses (brick, conical, good foundation), but it was
destroyed in the Civil War. The current structure was finished in 1872 by
Dexter Stetson, who began construction on it immediately after completing
the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse in 1870. It rises 165 feet, and has 214 steps. However, the public is not allowed to climb this lighthouse, as is permitted at Corolla and Cape Hatteras.
Click any color image for
a larger view. Photos by Fred Hurteau. |
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More information on Bodie Island Light and new photos are available on our sister site, OuterBanksGuidebook.com, on the Bodie Island Lighthouse page.
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Cape
Hatteras Lighthouse is next
in line moving southward, located at Buxton near Cape Hatteras Point. There
has been some confusion as to its true height, which has been commonly published
as 208 feet. According to a Raleigh News & Observer article by Jerry Allegood
dated Jan. 3, 1999, "When the structure was actually measured, about
two years ago, the distance from ground level to pinnacle came out to be
198 feet 8 inches, said Steve Harrison, chief of resource management for
the Cape Hatteras National Seashore." Another figure of 191 feet used
on navigation charts is also correct, which is the height of the light beacon
itself. Because the lighthouse was moved in 1999, both measurements may
have changed by a few inches at the new location. There are 268 steps to
the top of the spiral staircase. Because of a 130-year loosing battle with
beach erosion, the National Park Service moved the structure in 1999 another
1200 feet back from the shoreline to preserve it for future generations.
This is the second lighthouse at Cape Hatteras. The
first one, built in 1803, was just 95 feet high and failed due to a poor
foundation.
Additional information and new photos are available on our sister site, OuterBanksGuidebook.com, on the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse page.
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Ocracoke
Lighthouse, the shortest of the Outer Banks lights,
measures 75 feet to its beacon. The current structure is the second lighthouse
called Ocracoke Light. The first one was built in 1803, but was destroyed
by lightning in 1818. The lighthouse that stands today was built in 1823,
and is the oldest working lighthouse on the NC coast. It is constructed
of brick, coated with cement. |
Click any image to see a larger version.
Photos by Fred Hurteau. |
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 The
lighthouse is viewed here from Ocracoke's harbor, called Silver Lake. If it was tall and boldly
marked like the other Outer Banks lighthouses, it simply would not aesthetically fit with the quaint
maritime charm that makes Ocracoke special. |
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Additional information and new photos are available on our sister site, OuterBanksGuidebook.com, on the Ocracoke Lighthouse page.
 Cape
Lookout Lighthouse is possibly the second
most widely recognized of the Outer Banks lights. Its distinctive black
diamonds on white (officially designated as "checkers") are
almost as unique as the spiral stripe on the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse.
It rises
165 feet
above
Cape
Lookout
Shoals.
It is the second lighthouse by that name. The
first, a brick structure covered with wood, was finished in 1812 with
its light
96 feet above ground. The present lighthouse was built next to the old one,
and was completed in 1859. It didn't get its diamond (checker pattern)
paint marking until 1873, when Cape Hatteras Lighthouse got its
spiral stripes and Bodie Island Lighthouse received its horizontal stripes.
Additional information and new photos are available on our sister site, OuterBanksGuidebook.com, on the Cape Lookout Lighthouse page.
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Some
photos
from this site were used on the cover and
label for Brian
Hobbs "Impressions of the Outer Banks" CD
of "impressionistic and cinematic instrumental
music
evoking the history and natural beauty
of
North Carolina's legendary Outer Banks".
Click
here for more information and song samples
from
the CD or visit Brian's
web site. |
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