Links 

Oak Island Lighthouse North Carolina Lighthouses Restoration

Oak Island Lighthouse is an intriguing mixture of old and new, tradition and innovation. The present structure, completed in 1958, is one of the most recent lighthouses built on American shores. Although the current lighthouse is young, attempts to illuminate this particular stretch of water have been made for over two hundred years but have been thwarted by hurricanes, war, and changing shipping routes.

In 1761 a hurricane carved out an inlet near the mouth of the Cape Fear River, which soon became the most popular route to Wilmington, North Carolina’s largest port. Because of the increased traffic in this aptly named “New Inlet,” two range lights were built on Oak Island, located on the west side of the river mouth. First lit on September 7, 1849, these lights were often referred to as the “Caswell Lights” because of their nearness to Fort Caswell.

Unlike the other Cape Fear River range lights, the Caswell Lights were free-standing brick towers, with a separate 1 ½ story cottage for the keeper. The original brick beacons were in use only a few years before the Civil War extinguished all the lights on the Carolina coast. Both range lights were destroyed by retreating Confederate troops, who preferred to blow up the structures rather than see them fall into Union hands. Of course interested parties had no intention of allowing New Inlet to remain dark for long, and in 1865, plans for new Oak Island range lights were drawn to include a front beacon, standing twenty-seven feet above sea level, and a rear beacon, a sophisticated four-level structure with living quarters.

These plans, however, were apparently abandoned, as the lights that finally were rebuilt in 1879 were quite different. The front range light was a wooden tower attached to a sixteen-foot high brick foundation, which still stands today, and the rear light was a simple structure mounted on skids so it could be moved with the shifting channel. The keeper’s dwelling was a separate, two-story house.

Unfortunately, like their predecessors, these range lights survived less than 20 years. Another hurricane in 1893 damaged the front beacon and keeper’s house beyond repair. But this time, because changes in shipping routes had decreased the number of vessels along that part of the Cape Fear River, the damaged range lights were decommissioned with no plans to repair them.

Although there was less traffic through New Inlet, ships trying to navigate the dangerous Frying Pan Shoals still needed a strong coastal light. The Lighthouse Board petitioned for funds to equip Bald Head Lighthouse as a coastal light, but when Congress finally did appropriate funds, they were for a new Cape Fear Lighthouse, a 150-foot tower built on Bald Head Island. Outfitted with a first-order Fresnel lens, this lighthouse was completed in 1903, and functioned until the current lighthouse was built on Oak Island in 1958.

As the last lighthouse built in North Carolina, Oak Island Lighthouse is as durable as they come. Twenty-four concrete-filled pilings penetrate 67 feet into the ground to provide a solid foundation. Capping the pilings is an octagonal concrete base measuring 30 feet wide and three feet deep. The tower itself is 158 feet tall, made of solid, eight-inch thick reinforced concrete. During its construction, a temporary concrete mixing plant was set up next to the construction site and operated continuously for six days. The concrete was poured into a moveable form that was slowly raised by jacks.

The three bands of color distinguishing the lighthouse also speak of modern innovation and durability. For the first forty feet of the tower, workers poured natural gray cement; the next fifty feet they used a mixture of white Portland cement and white quartz aggregate, and for the final fifty feet they mixed black paint with the cement. The result is a monolithic tower with three distinctive bands that never need repainting.

Unlike traditional lighthouses, Oak Island Lighthouse has no spiral staircase; instead the keeper must climb a series of ships ladders with a total of 134 steps. Tools are hauled to the top in a metal box attached to a long pulley. The aluminum lantern room houses four 1000-watt aerobeam lights that had to be installed by two Marine Corps helicopters. With its 2.5 million candlepower lights flashing intermittently and visible 24 miles out to sea, Oak Island Light is one of the most powerful lighthouses in existence.

In the 1930’s the US Coast Guard took ownership of the land on which Oak Island Lighthouse is located and used the property for a Coast Guard station. However, in 2004, both the Oak Island Lighthouse and the land immediately surrounding the tower were deeded to the town of Caswell Beach. A non-proft organization, Friends of Oak Island Lighthouse, has been formed to preserve and maintain the lighthouse and grounds. The Coast Guard still is in charge of maintaining the lights, and the actual lighthouse is not open to the public, but the town has constructed a boardwalk and an observation deck just across the street from the lighthouse for visitors.

Defeat hits hard for Lighthouses Sunshine Coast Daily The result put Caloundra's finals hopes in the balance, with Caboolture now a chance of slipping into the top four at the Lighthouses' expense. ... Teams gear up for the finals runNoosa News all 2 news articles »

Point Lynas lighthouse for sale at £1.5m BBC News Point Lynas lighthouse near Amlwch, on Anglesey, has been put up for sale by owners Robin and Iona Beckmann who have spent 10 years restoring it. ... Lighthouse for sale, £1.5mWalesOnline all 3 news articles »

Docents run historic site for a week Chicago Tribune That's more than Mark and Marti Strehlow and the other Rock Island lighthouse docents earn. But now that lighthouses in America are automated, ... and more »

Lighthouse lovers fundraiser tour Aug. 23-24 Grand Haven Tribune AP Breaking News Video The Great Lakes Lighthouse Keepers Association will be offering lighthouse lovers a two-day lighthouse excursion on northern Lake ...

WTAQ

Federal govt. looks to unload 3 Mich. lighthouses Chicago Tribune The federal government wants to unload three Michigan lighthouses that it no longer needs, and is looking for local communities, museums or nonprofit groups ... South Haven lighthouse on pier is no longer needed, US Coast Guard saysKalamazoo Gazette - MLive.com South Haven lighthouse up for saleWWMT Tours draw crowds to lighthouseJournal Times Herald Palladium (subscription) -Interlochen Public Radio -WTAQ all 51 news articles »

» Saving pieces of the past Umpqua Post Elliott and county park staff say the state once led a PR campaign and events each year to raise awareness for Oregon lighthouses. ...

Shine for Lighthouse? Wall Street Journal The three lighthouses in question are being offered for sale by the federal government, which is seeking owners willing to take the money-burning ... Government giving away lighthousesWashington Post (blog) Awesome Auction Opportunity of the Day: These Three Lighthouses!Curbed (blog) all 4 news articles »

New Lighthouse Project Plan Unveiled Westbury Times Lighthouses are commonly viewed as the marker for seamen to find the coast during storms, add a bit of personality to an island and to serve as a beacon of ... and more »

Divers inspect ailing Del. lighthouse Delmarva Daily Times The damage was so bad the Delaware River & Bay Lighthouse Foundation ceased running summer tours at Harbor of Refuge, and the organization is looking at ... and more »

Door County, Wis., is home to lighthouses, cherries and more St. Louis Post-Dispatch Views of the 1869 Cana Island Lighthouse, one of the most visited sites in Door County. The catwalk at the top of the tower affords spectacular views of the ...

Common Misspellings include accros, acrosss, acrost, accross agregate alowing alsot, aslo allthough altho, althought, altough adn, anbd anohter apparantly appropiate, appropraite, appropropiate, apropriate attemts becamae baceause, beacuse, becasue, beccause, becouse, becuase bedore, befoer, befor balck bu caost congreso consttruction, constuction, contruction continously coudl, sould decomissioned diferent, diferrent, differnt, diffrent disctinctive distingishing buring, durig, durring, duting eigth existance, existince feat, fet, fete fianlly, finaly firt, firts fomr formant, fomed, fromed forte fourty firends fomr, frome gaurd ahev, ahve, haev, hvae, hvea housr howver hunderd emmediately, imediately, immediatley, immediatly, immidately, immidiately includ inclreased instade inot it's jstu largst lastr, lsat levle liek, liuke maked maintinaing milion, millon monolite naturual ened enxt noeth, noth nto, onot ofen oftenly lonly, onyl organiztion orginal, origional nother, otehr parituclar, particualr, paticular populare poverful, poweful powerfull predecesors prefered pubic qtuie, qutie refered, reffered refoceus, reinfarced, reenforced seperate shiping slowy sose sophicated, suphisticated staion sotry, sotyr, stopry, stoyr, stroy stong stucture, sturcture sorrounding, surounding, surrouding survivied temprary tahn, thna taht, tath, thast, thgat, thta, thyat hten, tghe, ther, thge, tjhe ther, theri, thier, thier their, ther theese htey, tehy, tyhe htis, thsi, tihs threee throught, thru tiem, timne, tiome todya twon traditition traditionnal trafic troups twpo untill uise unsed visable vistors wass, weas, ws warter wehn, whn hwihc, whcih, whic, whihc, whlch, wich eyars, eyasr, yeasr, yeras, yersa
 Sailing Lessons Carolina   Bald Head Island NC Lighthouse  Cape Hatteras Lighthouse  Oak Island Lighthouse  Bodie Island Lighthouse  North Carolina Lighthouses  Cape Lookout Lighthouse  Ocracoke Lighthouse  Roanoke River Lighthouse  Cape Fear Lighthouse  Currituck Beach Lighthouse  Prices Creek Lighthouse  sailing alantic 

   Links 

Oak Island Lighthouse North Carolina Lighthouses Restoration

Oak Island Lighthouse is an intriguing mixture of old and new, tradition and innovation. The present structure, completed in 1958, is one of the most recent lighthouses built on American shores. Although the current lighthouse is young, attempts to illuminate this particular stretch of water have been made for over two hundred years but have been thwarted by hurricanes, war, and changing shipping routes.

In 1761 a hurricane carved out an inlet near the mouth of the Cape Fear River, which soon became the most popular route to Wilmington, North Carolina’s largest port. Because of the increased traffic in this aptly named “New Inlet,” two range lights were built on Oak Island, located on the west side of the river mouth. First lit on September 7, 1849, these lights were often referred to as the “Caswell Lights” because of their nearness to Fort Caswell.

Unlike the other Cape Fear River range lights, the Caswell Lights were free-standing brick towers, with a separate 1 ½ story cottage for the keeper. The original brick beacons were in use only a few years before the Civil War extinguished all the lights on the Carolina coast. Both range lights were destroyed by retreating Confederate troops, who preferred to blow up the structures rather than see them fall into Union hands. Of course interested parties had no intention of allowing New Inlet to remain dark for long, and in 1865, plans for new Oak Island range lights were drawn to include a front beacon, standing twenty-seven feet above sea level, and a rear beacon, a sophisticated four-level structure with living quarters.

These plans, however, were apparently abandoned, as the lights that finally were rebuilt in 1879 were quite different. The front range light was a wooden tower attached to a sixteen-foot high brick foundation, which still stands today, and the rear light was a simple structure mounted on skids so it could be moved with the shifting channel. The keeper’s dwelling was a separate, two-story house.

Unfortunately, like their predecessors, these range lights survived less than 20 years. Another hurricane in 1893 damaged the front beacon and keeper’s house beyond repair. But this time, because changes in shipping routes had decreased the number of vessels along that part of the Cape Fear River, the damaged range lights were decommissioned with no plans to repair them.

Although there was less traffic through New Inlet, ships trying to navigate the dangerous Frying Pan Shoals still needed a strong coastal light. The Lighthouse Board petitioned for funds to equip Bald Head Lighthouse as a coastal light, but when Congress finally did appropriate funds, they were for a new Cape Fear Lighthouse, a 150-foot tower built on Bald Head Island. Outfitted with a first-order Fresnel lens, this lighthouse was completed in 1903, and functioned until the current lighthouse was built on Oak Island in 1958.

As the last lighthouse built in North Carolina, Oak Island Lighthouse is as durable as they come. Twenty-four concrete-filled pilings penetrate 67 feet into the ground to provide a solid foundation. Capping the pilings is an octagonal concrete base measuring 30 feet wide and three feet deep. The tower itself is 158 feet tall, made of solid, eight-inch thick reinforced concrete. During its construction, a temporary concrete mixing plant was set up next to the construction site and operated continuously for six days. The concrete was poured into a moveable form that was slowly raised by jacks.

The three bands of color distinguishing the lighthouse also speak of modern innovation and durability. For the first forty feet of the tower, workers poured natural gray cement; the next fifty feet they used a mixture of white Portland cement and white quartz aggregate, and for the final fifty feet they mixed black paint with the cement. The result is a monolithic tower with three distinctive bands that never need repainting.

Unlike traditional lighthouses, Oak Island Lighthouse has no spiral staircase; instead the keeper must climb a series of ships ladders with a total of 134 steps. Tools are hauled to the top in a metal box attached to a long pulley. The aluminum lantern room houses four 1000-watt aerobeam lights that had to be installed by two Marine Corps helicopters. With its 2.5 million candlepower lights flashing intermittently and visible 24 miles out to sea, Oak Island Light is one of the most powerful lighthouses in existence.

In the 1930’s the US Coast Guard took ownership of the land on which Oak Island Lighthouse is located and used the property for a Coast Guard station. However, in 2004, both the Oak Island Lighthouse and the land immediately surrounding the tower were deeded to the town of Caswell Beach. A non-proft organization, Friends of Oak Island Lighthouse, has been formed to preserve and maintain the lighthouse and grounds. The Coast Guard still is in charge of maintaining the lights, and the actual lighthouse is not open to the public, but the town has constructed a boardwalk and an observation deck just across the street from the lighthouse for visitors.

Cruise around Cape Ann and learn about lighthouses Wicked Local (blog) By Anonymous The annual Lighthouses of Cape Ann cruise will be held Friday, July 30, leaving at 6 pm from Cape Ann Whale Watch in Gloucester aboard the ... and more »

A beacon's final resident reflects Press of Atlantic City The tour aims to familiarize people with some of the seven remaining lighthouses on the Delaware. "Angelo is good at what he does," says Dusty Pierce, ...

Throwing light on country's history AsiaOne ENTIRE stories and movies have been constructed around lighthouses -- those solitary guides for ships navigating sometimes treacherous waters. ...

Lighthouses of Ontario CANOE Here's an opportunity to explore these stately sentinels - lighthouses - right here in Ontario. The Bruce Coast bills itself as the "lighthouse destination ... and more »

Beach Connection

Oregon Coast Secrets Abound in Newport For the Summer Beach Connection Deep sea fishing, crabbing, lighthouses, special family events, more outdoor dining than anywhere else on the coast and a new butterfly attraction are part ...

WTAQ

Federal govt. looks to unload 3 Mich. lighthouses Chicago Tribune The federal government wants to unload three Michigan lighthouses that it no longer needs, and is looking for local communities, museums or nonprofit groups ... Lighthouses for sale, U.S. Coast Guard says they're not neededDetroit Free Press South Haven lighthouse on pier is no longer needed, US Coast Guard saysKalamazoo Gazette - MLive.com South Haven has its eyes on lighthouseHerald Palladium (subscription) WWMT -Journal Times -Interlochen Public Radio all 51 news articles »

lighthouse gets help from divers The News Journal The damage was so bad the Delaware River & Bay Lighthouse Foundation ceased running summer tours at Harbor of Refuge, and the organization is looking at ...

Last at the light Lake County News Chronicle When Coast Guard member Mike Roberts was assigned to duty at Split Rock Lighthouse in November of 1966, he had no idea he would be the last keeper to serve ...

Shine for Lighthouse? Wall Street Journal The three lighthouses in question are being offered for sale by the federal government, which is seeking owners willing to take the money-burning ... Government giving away lighthousesWashington Post (blog) Awesome Auction Opportunity of the Day: These Three Lighthouses!Curbed (blog) all 4 news articles »

The Forecaster

Ram Island Ledge light off Cape Elizabeth for sale, in need of care The Forecaster Santangelo said it has become increasingly difficult for the US Coast Guard to maintain and man the lighthouses. "The light is an active navigation tool, ...

Common Misspellings include accros, acrosss, acrost, accross agregate alowing alsot, aslo allthough altho, althought, altough adn, anbd anohter apparantly appropiate, appropraite, appropropiate, apropriate attemts becamae baceause, beacuse, becasue, beccause, becouse, becuase bedore, befoer, befor balck bu caost congreso consttruction, constuction, contruction continously coudl, sould decomissioned diferent, diferrent, differnt, diffrent disctinctive distingishing buring, durig, durring, duting eigth existance, existince feat, fet, fete fianlly, finaly firt, firts fomr formant, fomed, fromed forte fourty firends fomr, frome gaurd ahev, ahve, haev, hvae, hvea housr howver hunderd emmediately, imediately, immediatley, immediatly, immidately, immidiately includ inclreased instade inot it's jstu largst lastr, lsat levle liek, liuke maked maintinaing milion, millon monolite naturual ened enxt noeth, noth nto, onot ofen oftenly lonly, onyl organiztion orginal, origional nother, otehr parituclar, particualr, paticular populare poverful, poweful powerfull predecesors prefered pubic qtuie, qutie refered, reffered refoceus, reinfarced, reenforced seperate shiping slowy sose sophicated, suphisticated staion sotry, sotyr, stopry, stoyr, stroy stong stucture, sturcture sorrounding, surounding, surrouding survivied temprary tahn, thna taht, tath, thast, thgat, thta, thyat hten, tghe, ther, thge, tjhe ther, theri, thier, thier their, ther theese htey, tehy, tyhe htis, thsi, tihs threee throught, thru tiem, timne, tiome todya twon traditition traditionnal trafic troups twpo untill uise unsed visable vistors wass, weas, ws warter wehn, whn hwihc, whcih, whic, whihc, whlch, wich eyars, eyasr, yeasr, yeras, yersa
 Sailing Lessons Carolina   Bald Head Island NC Lighthouse  Cape Hatteras Lighthouse  Oak Island Lighthouse  Bodie Island Lighthouse  North Carolina Lighthouses  Cape Lookout Lighthouse  Ocracoke Lighthouse  Roanoke River Lighthouse  Cape Fear Lighthouse  Currituck Beach Lighthouse  Prices Creek Lighthouse  sailing alantic