North Carolina Lighthouses Past and Present

Pharos of Alexandria First Lighthouse ever built – 280 B.C. Structure survived for 1500 years. Destroyed by an earthquake in the 14 th Century. Took 20 years to complete.

 Built in Egypt.  It is one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.  Open fire at the top was its’ source of light.  Tallest lighthouse ever built at 450 feet.  Built of marble.  Looked more like a skyscraper than the lighthouses we know today. Pharos - continued

 A person who studies lighthouses. This term evolved from the first lighthouse Pharos of Alexandria. Pharologist

 Was built in Boston in 1716 on Little Brewster Island.  Destroyed during the Revolutionary War and then rebuilt in 1783  It is still a working lighthouse. First Lighthouse in America – Boston Lighthouse

 Lighthouse are referred to as “daymarks” during the day and it is the lighthouse’s shape, size and color that help with navigational points during the day.  In early years, these daymarks were piles of rock that could be seen by day and had lighted fires set on them at night to aid navigation. Daymarks

 Lighting has gone from:  Wood and coal fires  Oil fires (both sperm whale oil and lard oil)  Kerosene and candles.  Lights powered by electricity.  The first electric light was a parabolic reflector that was introduced in It was not as effective as it’s replacement but was much cheaper. How are lighthouses powered?

Fresnel Lens  Invented in 1822 by Physicist, Augustin Fresnel.  Made up of 100s of pieces of specially cut glass.  Can be as tall as 12 feet.  Can weigh up to 4 tons.

 To guide ships into ports up and down the Atlantic coast.  They help ships avoid the many shoals that are off the coast.  North Carolina’s Outer Banks area was called the Graveyard of the Atlantic because of all of the shipwrecks. Why do we need lighthouses?

 Lighthouses serve as a navigational tool during the day through their design.  Lighthouses serve at night to warn ships of hidden dangers under the water.

 North Carolina has 7 major lighthouses dotting it’s 301 miles of coastline.  Each lighthouse was painted in a different color and/or design to distinguish their location. North Carolina’s Lighthouses

Bald Head Lighthouse  North Carolina’s oldest lighthouse  Nicknamed “Old Baldy”  Built in 1817  Retired from service in 1935  90 feet tall

Ocracoke Lighthouse

Cape Lookout Light  Became a prototype for many later lighthouses.  First Built in 1812, rebuilt in 1859  163 feet above sea level  201 stairs  Still operational

Cape Hatteras Lighthouse  Tallest lighthouse in U.S.  208 feet tall – 268 stairs to the top.  Built in 1869  Nickname – Grand Lady of Lighthouses.  Lighthouse was relocated in 1999 – 2,900 feet further from shore.

Bodie Island Lighthouse  Still has a 1 st Order Fresnel Lens.  Built in 1872  156 feet tall, with 214 stairs to the lantern.  Still operational.

Currituck Beach Lighthouse  The last brick lighthouse built on the Outer Banks  Built in 1875  162 feet tall  Has 214 steps.  Still Operational.

Oak Island Lighthouse  The last lighthouse to be built in NC, was completed in  The lights can be seen for 16 miles.  The actual structure is 153 feet tall, but it stands on a slight rise.  There is no spiral staircase as found in most older lighthouses, but instead a series of ships ladders with a total of 131 steps to the gallery level.  Still operational.