Coastal Guardians North Carolina’s Lighthouses By Dixie Dee Whited
Historically, when you discover more, you’ll learn that one lighthouse was built too short, one lighthouse started leaning, one was built too far from the coast, one was blown up, another couple had to be moved. Though long ago they protected adventurers from our treacherous shores, today they draw visitors for some of the most incredible views you’ll ever see, and I was excited to introduce my grandchildren and great grandchildren to these coastal giants. 1. Currituck Beach Lighthouse, Corolla Currituck Beach Lighthouse on the northern Outer Banks has protected North Carolina’s shores since 1875. Made of roughly 1 million red bricks, this active lighthouse’s exterior differs from a more common black-and-white color scheme to the south. You can also climb the 220 steps in mid-March through December. First lit on December 1, 1875, the beacon filled the remaining “dark spot” on the North Carolina coast between Cape Henry and Bodie Island lighthouses. It’s one of the only lighthouses in America that still houses its original first-order Fresnel lens. The light
While other families were flying to fabulous island vacations in Iceland, New Zealand, or Hawaii, our family planned all year long for two weeks on the beautiful islands off the coast of North Carolina. Of course, in an effort to save money, we tent camped with Army surplus sleeping bags after arriving crammed into a station wagon piled high with the various foods our family of six would need for the duration. We couldn’t wait to feel the sand between our toes and body surf in the gentle waves off Nags Head where we usually set up camp. On rainy days or days when we’ve had way too much sun, we’d pile into the wagon and explore nearby lighthouses. We didn’t visit all seven, but enjoyed hearing the heroic stories of the early lighthouse keepers and the ships they kept from crashing onto the series of treacherous capes, shoals, and inlets along the western edge of the cold Labrador and warm Gulf Stream currents.
The unique and hazardous geography of the North Carolina coast has earned it the reputation as “Graveyard of the Atlantic.” Historical sources indicate that from the earliest period of European exploration to the present, more than 1,000 vessels have been lost off the North Carolina coast. Sometimes, portions of these vessels wash up or are uncovered along the ocean beaches. A total of seven coastal lighthouses dot North Carolina’s shoreline from the Outer Banks to the Brunswick Islands. The Lighthouse Board assigned each lighthouse a distinctive paint pattern (daymark) and light sequence (nightmark) to allow mariners to recognize each light from all others during the day and night as they sailed along the coast.
Map credit William Tipton
COASTAL GUARDIANS
COAST TO COAST MAGAZINE SUMMER 2025 | 29
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