| Oak Island Light | |
| Location | Oak Island, Cape Fear River, North Carolina |
|---|---|
| Year first constructed | 1958 |
| Year first lit | 1958 |
| Construction | Portland concrete |
| Tower shape | Round |
| Markings / pattern | Bottom third of tower grey, second third white, third one black. |
| Height | 169 feet |
| Current lens | DCB-436 Aerobeacon |
| Range | 20 miles |
| Characteristic | Four flashes every 6 seconds. |
| Admiralty number | J2470 |
| ARLHS number | USA-558 |
| USCG number | 2-0810 |
|
Oak Island Lighthouse
|
|
| Location: | 300A Caswell Beach Rd., N of NC 133, Caswell Beach, North Carolina |
| Area: | 5.7 acres (2.3 ha) |
| Built: | 1958 |
| Architectural style: | Other, Lighthouse |
| Governing body: | Local |
| NRHP Reference#: | 07000293[1] |
| Added to NRHP: | April 5, 2007 |
The Oak Island Lighthouse is currently part of the United States Coast Guard station on Oak Island in North Carolina.
Being completed in 1958, the Oak Island Lighthouse is one of the newest lighthouses in the United States. It is made from concrete and stands 169 feet (51.5 m) tall. It replaced the Cape Fear Lighthouse, a steel skeleton lighthouse near Cape Fear on Bald Head Island. (That lighthouse was demolished afterwards to avoid confusion.) The lighthouse marks the mouth of the Cape Fear River with the second most powerful beacon in the world, only surpassed by a French lighthouse along the English Channel. It can be seen for 19 miles, which is needed to help ships avoid the dangerous Frying Pan Shoals.
The characteristic flashing pattern for the light is four one-second flashes every 10 seconds The heat given off by the light is so intense that workers must wear protective clothing in order to do repairs. Even then, they are only able to work on it for a short time. It has become the symbol for Oak Island and can be seen on many of the souvenirs sold there.
The top third of the lighthouse is black; the middle third is white, while the bottom third is grey. These colors are not painted on the structure, having instead been mixed into the concrete at the time the tower was constructed.[2]
The Oak Island Lighthouse was recently designated as surplus by the Coast Guard (though it intends to continue operating the beacon). The town of Caswell Beach was recently given ownership of the lighthouse and adjacent oceanfront property by the Federal Government in return for its agreement to maintain the property for parks and recreation purposes. The lighthouse is open Wednesdays and Saturdays 10 A.M. - 2 P.M. for limited tour. Tours to the top must be scheduled in advance.
|
||||||||||