Next stop on lighthouse tour is Bald Head Island

“Old Baldy” is probably the most lovable of North Carolina’s seven coastal lighthouses, because of its unique octagonal shape.

 

It served the noble purpose of warning mariners to steer clear of the treacherous Frying Pan Shoals, which extend out into the Atlantic Ocean from the southern shores of Bald Head Island. 

The lighthouse also offered a “guiding light” for ship pilots who were seeking to enter the mouth of the Cape Fear River near Southport and proceed up to the port at Wilmington.

 

Originally a large, barren sand dune, Bald Head Island was appropriately named. The original Bald Head Island Lighthouse was completed in 1794. It stood about 64 feet tall. It soon fell victim to beach erosion and was dismantled in 1813. 

Elsewhere on the island, a replacement lighthouse was completed in 1817 and stood 110 feet tall. It was a recycling project. Both old lighthouse bricks and newly pressed bricks were used to build the walls. The contractors covered them with stucco to provide extra protection from the elements. 

Old Baldy retired for the first time in 1866 when a new Federal Point Lighthouse was built about 8 miles away near Fort Fisher at Kure Beach close to a new inlet that had opened up. It was a cottage-style lighthouse on a pier. 

The inlet closed in 1879, causing the Federal Point Lighthouse to be deactivated. The building burned in 1881. So, the call went out asking Old Baldy to juice up its lantern once again. 

In 1898, the U.S. Congress authorized the construction of a 159-foot, skeleton tower, named Cape Fear Light, on the southeastern end of Bald Head Island. The tower was completed in 1903. 

Old Baldy was allowed to stay in service as a complimentary light for a time, but it was officially decommissioned in 1935. The lighthouse still exists and receives constant care and affection from the Old Baldy Foundation, owners of the property since 1987.

 

The lantern still works, and visitors can scale the 112 restored wooden stairs to reach the top of the tower and look out over the island.

There's yet another lighthouse to visit on the N.C. coast

As noted above, the Cape Fear Light tower served from 1903-58. It was replaced by the 1958 Oak Island Lighthouse. (The old tower was demolished to avoid confusing mariners.)

 

The 158-foot Oak Island Lighthouse at Caswell Beach is a concrete, cylindrical tower with a constant diameter of 17 feet. Therefore, it looks modern, having no tapering effect. 

The three bands of color give the tower its distinctive daymark. The bottom section is natural gray cement and the middle is a mixture of white Portland cement and white quartz aggregate. The top third is ebony, because a black tincture was added to the cement. The lighthouse is supposed to never need painting. 

Unlike traditional lighthouses, the Oak Island Lighthouse lacks a spiral staircase. Instead, it contains a series of ships ladders with a total of 134 steps. Its light is visible 24 miles out to sea, making Oak Island one of the most powerful lighthouses in existence.

 

In 2004, both Oak Island Lighthouse and the land immediately surrounding the tower were deeded to the Town of Caswell Beach. The Friends of Oak Island Lighthouse, a nonprofit organization, was formed to preserve and maintain the lighthouse and grounds.

 The friends group says many marriage proposals have been made on the viewing platform at the top of the lighthouse. Sources say the answer to the question…at this elevation…is always “yes.” The website advises: “Don’t drop that ring.”