One of the most recognizable features of the North Carolina coast, the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse has guided sailors through some of the region's most dangerous waters for more than 100 years. Today, the lighthouse is open to the public as a part of Cape Hatteras National Seashore and sees more than 175,000 visitors every year.
The Cape Hatteras Lighthouse is the tallest brick lighthouse in the United States, measuring 198.49 feet from the bottom of the foundation to the top of the tower. From its location on Hatteras Island, the lighthouse's beacon reaches 20 miles into the ocean, allowing ships to navigate safely through a treacherous area of the Outer Banks where the Gulf Stream collides with the Virginia Drift, forcing ships into a 12-mile sandbar known as Diamond Shoals. Construction on the lighthouse began in 1799, six years after it was authorized by Congress, and the lamp was first lit in October 1803.
At the time it was first lit, the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse stood 90 feet tall and used a lamp powered by whale oil. The lighthouse proved insufficient for sailors attempting to reach safe harbor, and a number of improvements have been implemented over the years. An additional 60 feet was added to the lighthouse in 1853, and the sandstone-colored tower was repainted red and white to make it more visible. By the 1860s, the lighthouse was in need of repairs, and Congress appropriated funds for a new lighthouse to take its place. Construction began in 1868, and the new kerosene powered Fresnel lens was lit for the first time in 1870. The black and white spiral stripe pattern was added in 1873, giving the lighthouse the appearance it has today.
When the new lighthouse was built in 1870, it stood 1,500 feet from the ocean, but a century of storms and erosion brought the beach to within 120 feet of the lighthouse by 1970. The National Park Service started looking for a way to save the lighthouse from the approaching sea in 1980, and it was decided by the late 1990s that moving the lighthouse would be the surest way to protect it. The International Chimney Corporation of Buffalo, New York, undertook the job of moving the 4,830-ton lighthouse in 1999, lifting the structure off its foundation, transferring it to a transport system and moving it to a new foundation 2,900 feet from its original location. The lighthouse was re-lit on Nov. 13, 1999.
The Cape Hatteras Lighthouse sits in the community of Buxton on Hatteras Island, still functional and 1,600 feet from the ocean. The lighthouse is open to the public from the third Friday in April through Columbus Day, and tickets are available to purchase in person on a first-come, first-served basis. A total of 269 steps lead from the ground floor to the lens room, where visitors can take in a panoramic view of the Atlantic Ocean and North Carolina coast.
