Shining lights across the ocean waves, the lighthouses of the
North Carolina coast were established in 1789 by President
George Washington. (President Washington had lighthouses
built along the coastlines of all the original colonies)
The lighthouses built in the Outer Banks are Cape Hatteras,
Bodie Island, Ocracoke and Currituck. To make them easier
to distinguish and identify by the sea captains, they were
distinct in style and decoration. Today all the lighthouses
are overseen by the National Park Service as well as the
Outer Banks Lighthouse Society. All of the lighthouses are
open to the public; there are small museums and shops at
Hatteras, Bodie and Currituck. For opening hours, be sure
to call the National Park Service at 1-252-473-2111.
Currituck
When you visit Corolla, the trip is not complete without a visit to the Currituck Beach Lighthouse. Standing 158 feet above the beach, Currituck’s light first shone on December 1, 1875, filling in the remaining “dark spot” between North Carolina’s Body Island and Cape Henry. Before Currituck, there was an 80 mile stretch that was dark and dangerous. However, Currituck’s light shines for more than 18 miles, making its waters a safer place. When you visit, you can climb its 214 steps to the top—well worth the effort as the view from the top is incredible!
Cape Hatteras
Easily recognized by its black and white spiral, Hatteras is the tallest lighthouse in America. It is 208 feet tall, has 268 steps, and its light can be seen for more than 20 miles. Built in 1869 and using a Fresnal lens and oil lamp, it kept ships safe from shoals and sand bars. Unfortunately, the Federal Government abandoned it in 1935, and in 1936 its lens was damaged by vandals. It was not until 1950 when the Hatteras was reactivated and the lamp was replaced with a rotating beacon and two 1,000 watt lamps on each wing. The new light can easily be seen 20 miles away with some reports of 50 miles and 115 miles from the air.
Bodie Island Lighthouse
West of Highway 12, opposite Coquina beach and six miles south of Whalebone Junction is the Bodie Island Lighthouse. Painted with 2 black and 3 white bands, the 156 foot lighthouse is worth a visit. You cannot climb its stairs, but its old keeper’s quarters has interpretive exhibits which are open to the public. Also, on Bodie, you can amble down the nature trail through the marshes behind the lighthouse.
Bodie Island Lighthouse Video
Thanks to Kenneth A. Rivers for this Lighthouse Video
Ocracoke Lighthouse
Built by Noah Porter in 1823, Ocracoke is not only the shortest North Carolina lighthouse, but also the oldest operating lighthouse on the East Coast. Although it stands on one of the islands highest points, its light only reaches 14 miles. Ocracoke has been said to resemble the lighthouses of Oregon and others of the Pacific Northwest.
While there, be sure you visit the graves of 4 British sailors whose bodies washed up on shore when their ship, the HMS Bedfordshire, was sunk by a German submarine’s torpedo on May 14, 1942. The ship sank, and four of its crew member’s bodies were found and then buried near the lighthouse. Today, the graveyard, surrounded by a picket fence, is a memorial to the British Royal Navy.
