Ocracoke Lighthouse

Ocracoke, the first of the Outer Banks' lights, was constructed as a pilot light for the entrance to the treacherous waters of Ocracoke Inlet in 1798. Permanently illuminated in 1823, the stark white 75-foot tower is the oldest operating lighthouse on the North Carolina coast. Surrounded by the lush beauty of Ocracoke Village, the light overlooks tranquil Silver Lake. The tower is closed to the public, yet the grounds are open year-round. The National Park Service operates a visitor's center near the Cedar Island Ferry Terminal, open Memorial Day through Labor Day, 10 AM to 4 PM daily.

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The Outer Banks Lighthouse Society was organized in 1994 to aid in the preservation of the lighthouses in the area and work with the National Park Service and other agencies to achieve the safe-keeping of the buildings, artifacts and records of the old United States Lighthouse Establishment, a.k.a. U.S. Light-House Board and Bureau of Lighthouses and U.S. Lighthouse Service. For Details: www.outerbankslighthousesociety.org

The lighthouse stands today as it has for over a century and a half although some changes have been made over the years. The wooden stairs were replaced with ones made of steel after World War II and the two story keepers house that stands now was originally a one story dwelling. The Coast Guard used it when the lighthouse was manned and after automation in 1946, they continued to use it for Coast Guard personal. Now the National Park Service owns it all and the Coast Guard is only responsible to keep the light burning. The lighthouse is not very tall, standing only seventy-six high but considering it is a harbor light it didn’t need to be as tall as lights guiding ships up and down the coast. It’s the shortest navigational light on the Atlantic Coast. Even at that, the sixty-five foot lighthouse with its 8,000 candlepower fixed white light is visible up to fourteen miles out to sea.