Transcript North Carolina`s Lighthouses - fourthgradeteam2012-2013

North Carolina’s
Lighthouses
Why do we have lighthouses?
It is recorded that the Egyptians built the first lighthouse. During the
American explorations in the 16th and 17th centuries, explorers found
the coastal waters dark and unwelcoming. Many ships were lost
because there were no lights to guide the sailors to safe harbor. The
year 1716 changed all of that with the completion of America’s first
lighthouse near the Boston harbor.
Mapping the Outer Banks
Six of the most popular lighthouses
are located on the outer banks of
North Carolina. They are:
Bald Head Lighthouse
Ocracoke Lighthouse
Cape Lookout Lighthouse
Currituck Lighthouse
Bodie Lighthouse
Cape Hatteras Lighthouse
Bald Head Lighthouse
North Carolina’s first lighthouse,
Bald Head was established during
George Washington’s last year as
president. This makes Bald Head the
oldest standing lighthouse. Given the
nickname “Old Baldy,” it stands at 90
feet with a visibility of about 18 miles
out to sea. The confederate disabled
the lighthouse in January, 1865. While
it is no longer operational, Bald Head is
considered a historic monument and
museum.
Ocracoke Lighthouse
Considered the oldest operating lighthouse in
North Carolina, Ocracoke stands at 76 feet
with a visibility of about 14 miles out to sea.
Ocracoke Lighthouse was struck by lightening
and burned down in 1818? It was rebuilt later
that same year. In 1823 the northern and
southern troops controlled the lighthouse
during the Civil War. The brilliant white wash
and nearby picket fence are its familiar
features. The lighthouse is still operational.
Cape Lookout
Lighthouse
Cape Lookout Lighthouse is often
referred to as having a diamond
pattern, but its true design is recorded
as “painted as black and white
checkers”. The Lighthouse stands at
169 feet. When the lighthouse was
first built in 1812, it stood at only 95
feet. It was considered too short for
its light to be effective during mist and
poor weather. From spring of 1862
until the end of the war, the lighthouse
was occupied by the Federal Forces.
It is still operational with a visibility of
about 19 miles out to sea.
Currituck Lighthouse
Currituck Beach Lighthouse or Currituck
Lighthouse stands at 162 feet. Currituck
Lighthouse was given the same design as Bodie,
Cape Lookout, and Cape Hatteras. However, it
was left in its red exposed brick design to help
distinguish it by daylight. It was never painted.
Currituck was illuminated on December 1,
1875. It has a visibility of about 19 miles out
to sea. The lighthouse is still operational.
Bodie Lighthouse
Bodie Lighthouse stands at 150 feet with a
visibility of about 19 miles out to sea.
The first building of Bodie Lighthouse was
delayed for 10 years because of
disagreements about its location. Though
the lighthouse was controlled by the union,
in 1861 Bodie was blown up by the
Confederate Troops when they slipped in.
The new Bodie Lighthouse was modeled
after Cape Lookout and is still operational.
Cape Hatteras
Lighthouse
Cape Hatteras Lighthouse is the tallest
Lighthouse in America. It was the first to
be used as a warning light for sailors. The
first lighthouse only stood at 95 feet but
its beacon was not high enough to be seen
by vessels. It is considered the
“Graveyard of the Atlantic” because of
the many ship wrecks that occurred. It
stands over 200 feet with a visibility of
about 20 miles. Over the years Cape
Hatteras Lighthouse has been attacked by
the Union and the Confederate forces. It
has also been damaged by sea erosion.
There have existed 3 different Cape
Hatteras Lighthouses but it has been
moved twice.