Cape Hatteras Lighthouse

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Quick Facts

First Cape Hatteras lighthouse was built in 1802 and lit in 1803
An addition was made, between 1845 and 1854, to add height to the structure
Present tower at Cape Hatteras was built in 1870
It cost $150,000 to complete at that time
The current Cape Hatteras lighthouse is America’s tallest lighthouse at 198 feet high.
There are a total of 257 steps to the top
It took 1.25 million bricks to build the tower
Coast Survey Chart: 35 15 ‘ 32 ” N latitude, 75 31′ 44″ W longitude
Light is still operational day and night and visible for 20 mile.
Over 175,000 tourists visit the tower each year to climb the structure
Cape Hatteras is also the worlds tallest brick lighthouse

History

Cape Hatteras sits on a narrow strip of sand on the eastern most point of the United States. Since the 1800s, a lighthouse at Cape Hatteras has marked the Diamond Shoals which is a twelve-mile (12) long sandbar that lies just offshore.

Diamond Shoals is the meeting place of two great ocean currents: the cold Labrador and the warm Northbound Gulf Stream. When these waters collide, it creates ever changing sandbars just beneath the water surface. This has resulted in many shipwrecks over the years. To give mariners a warning of the dangerous waters, a lighthouse would have to be built that could shine far beyond the treacherous shoals.

Funds for the first lighthouse were released in 1793, but due to bad weather and illness among the crew building it, the structure wasn’t finished until 1802. After the structure was built, they had a difficult time finding a keeper that could take care of the lighthouse, so it was not lit until 1803. The original lighting system consisted of eighteen (18) oil lamps with fourteen (14) inch reflectors, and could be seen twelve (12) miles out to sea.

Shortly after construction, it was realized that the light would not be able to reach the treacherous shoals. Between 1845 and 1854, a series of repairs, modifications, and additions were made to the octagonal tower. These additions brought the height of the structure to 150 feet. The original iron and glass lantern room ten (10) feet height and ten (10) feet in diameter which was much too small. A larger lantern room was added to accommodate the eight by six foot 1st-order Fresnel lens that was installed in 1854.

After the new modifications were made, mariners and local residents began to complain about the lighthouse’s granite, sandstone and iron drab appearance. They also had problems with birds flying into the lantern room and smashing the glass. The lighthouse experienced a series of fires due to keepers that accidentally spilled lamp oil. Erosion was also a big problem as the shore in front of the lighthouse began to deteriorate. Attempts were made to rectify the problems. Piles of brush were stacked in front of the lighthouse to try and curb the erosion. The lighthouse was painted with the upper half in red and the lower half in white. The keepers quarters were rebuilt, and inefficient keepers were replaced. To help with the lighting issues, a Lightship called the Diamond Shoals was stationed near the Hatteras Lighthouse. Unfortunately, the numerous modifications that were made to the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse were not enough to adequately light the Cape. Nothing further was done until the Civil War. During the war, the lighthouse served as a lookout post. When the Confederates were driven back, the lighting system was removed so that the Union soldiers would not be able to use the lighthouse.

Work began in 1868 on a new beacon modeled after the light at Cape Lookout that would be located further inland than the original lighthouse. This was done to protect the lighthouse from erosion that caused so many problems with the previous lighthouse. The new and current tower was an incredible 198 feet tall, comparable to a skyscraper, so it needed a substantial foundation to support it. When workers began digging into the sand and reached sea level, water began seeping into the hole as you would expect. Chief Engineer Dexter Stetson chose pine timbers as the base of the foundation in hopes that they would not decay in the sea water. After the timbers were laid, a series of granite slabs were placed on top of the timbers to form the foundation. The last granite slab was placed at the ground level and the lighthouse was built on top. Despite outbreaks of malaria among the building crew and the loss of some construction materials in a shipwreck, work continued at a rapid pace, and the $150,000 tower, equipped with a 1st-order Fresnel lens, made it’s debut on December 18, 1870. The octagonal base of brick and granite, measures twenty-four (24) feet by fourty-five (45) feet six inches. The black and white barber-pole paint, or “candystriping” was added in 1873 to make the lighthouse more distinctive during the day. Today, the beacon is automated, but at the time it was built, the keeper had to wind weights suspended by heavy cables in order to rotate the thousand-prism lens. In the 1920s, erosion became a major problem to the new lighthouse. By 1936, the sea was lapping at the base of the tower, so the Coast Guard decided to build a frame tower further inland, and to abandon the existing lighthouse. The light was moved to the skeletal structure erected one mile inland. On May 15, 1936, the last keeper of the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, Unaka B. Jennette, had the duty of shutting down the tower. He had served as the head keeper of the beacon since 1919 and had raised seven children during his service at the lighthouse. Efforts to preserve the lighthouse were put on hold until 1948 due to the War. The National Park Service leased the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse to the Coast Guard so operations could resume. The result was that the light was moved from the steel tower back to the lighthouse, and has beamed its light from there since. The steel tower was dismantled at this time. In the mid-1980s, heated discussions had begun over whether to move the lighthouse to a new location. Finally a decision was made to move the lighthouse to it’s new location. In the summer of 1999, the lighthouse was moved 2899.57 feet from its original location. You can read more about the move by visiting http://www.nps.gov/archive/caha/lrp.htm.

Visitor Information

Hatteras at Dusk

Cape Hatteras at Midnight!

Visitor Information Sign

You can climb Cape Hatteras Lighthouse for a fee. It is definitely worth it to see the spectacular view from the top, but just be prepared for a workout because it can be quite exhausting to climb. We recommend bringing water to stay hydrated and bug repellent because the mosquitoes are pretty bad during the hot months. You can also access the beach the original site parking lot, so you might want to bring some beach towels and relax.

There is a visitors center, with a gift shop and restrooms located near the lighthouse. Since the lighthouse was recently moved, they have added additional parking, so you should not have a problem finding a spot.

Directions:

Take NC 12 South from Nags Head until you reach Buxton. It is approximately 50 miles south of Nags Head. The entrance to the park will be on the left. Contact (252) 473-2111 for more information

The following link allow you to create a custom driving route to Cape Hatteras Lighthouse using Google Maps

Driving directions to Cape Hatteras Lighthouse

Maps of Cape Hatteras Lighthouse

The map below shows the previous and current location of the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse

Cape Hatteras Move

Cape Hatteras Lighthouse

Handicapped Access

The Hatteras Island Visitors Center is very easily accessible. A deck and wooden path has been added to the visitors center and lighthouse.

Lighthouse Resources and Points of Interest

Cape Hatteras National Seashore Hatteras Island Visitors Center Off NC 12 at Buxton, NC (252) 995-4474 The lighthouse is part of this 30,000-acre preserve. The area has a lot of beaches that are not crowded.

National Parks Service Cape Hatteras Lighthouse ( NPS ) 1849 C Street NW Washington, DC 20240 Phone: (202) 208-6843 The National Park Service is responsible for taking care of the buildings and grounds surrounding Cape Hatteras Lighthouse. The US Coast Guard is responsible for the lighting mechanism and striped paint pattern.

Dare County Tourist Bureau P.O. Box 399 Manteo, NC 27954 1 (800) 446-6262 dctb-info@outer-banks.com

Dare County Tourist Bureau can provide you with all sorts of information related to the northern portion of the Outer Banks. Outer Banks Chamber of Commerce PO Box 1757 101

Town Hall Drive Kill Devil Hills, NC 27948 (252) 441-8144 chamber@outer-banks.com