Lighthouses of North Carolina's Outer Banks

Ocracoke Lighthouse

The Ocracoke Lighthouse is North Carolina’s oldest, active
light and the second oldest continuously operating
lighthouse on the east coast. Built in 1823, it’s non rotating
light is 75 feet above sea level, and can be seen a full 360
degrees to a distance of only 14 miles.

This unique and historic lighthouse is located on Ocracoke
Island. A small fishing village with a rich history that
includes Blackbeard the Pirate, who came home to
Ocracoke after hard days of reeking havoc on the high
seas right off the coast. Ironically he also lost his life here
to the hands of Captain Robert Maynard in 1718.

Ocracoke is also home to “The British Cemetery”. During
World War 2 and at the height of the German submarine
campaign on May 14, 1942, the British HMC Bedfordshire
was torpedoed and sunk with all hands lost. Four bodies of
the crew washed up on the beaches here. Today this
cemetery stands as a memorial to those brave young men
and The Royal Navy. A plaque reads… “If I should die
Think only this of me That there’s some forever corner of
a foreign field That is forever England.”

But the center piece of the island is still the historic
Ocracoke Lighthouse. After the first lighthouse built here
was destroyed by lightening in the early 1800’s, this final
tower was built for just over 11,000 dollars. Constructed on
one of the highest spots on the island, the Ocracoke
Lighthouse survived many violent storms over the years.

The Hurricane of 1944 was one of the worst on record.
Ocean water flooded the entire island and was lapping
against the doorstep of the lighthouse and was seven
inches deep in the Keepers house. But like many other
features here in Ocracoke the Lighthouse is a survivor.
The diameter at the base is only 25 feet and 12 feet at its
peak. The walls are 12 feet thick at the bottom tapering to
2 feet at the top. The inside of the lighthouse is closed to
the public but in this rare view from the very top, a close up
look at the lens and a panoramic view of Ocracoke Inlet
unlike one you will see anywhere else on the island.

For as long as tourists have been coming to Ocracoke this
unique white tower has stood above this beautiful inlet.
Paintings and photographs of the Ocracoke Lighthouse
can be seen on walls all over the world. Although the laid
back Ocracoke Island has a national reputation as a place
to get away from it all, it’s the Ocracoke Lighthouse and
stories of its infamous local pirate that keeps folks coming
back year after year.

A must on your lighthouse visit list.. the Ocracoke
Lighthouse… Ocracoke Island, North Carolina.