![]() ![]() When built in 1870 the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse was approximately 1,600 feet from the sea. According to a report filed in July 1871, "The new tower has been covered with a cement wash to protect it from the effects of the weather, the upper part (projected against the sky) colored red, the lower part (projected against the foliage in the rear) colored white."īecause of erosion and the shifting sands of the Outer Banks, the encroaching sea has always been a problem. One fact that many are not aware of is that Hatteras' signature spiral-striped daymark was not painted until June of 1873. On December 16th, 1870, the light was activated and the new conical shaped brick tower became the tallest lighthouse in the United States, at 198 feet tall, overall. ![]() Dexter Stetson, a shipbuilder from Massachusetts was chosen as the superintendent of construction. The present lighthouse contains approximately 1,250,000 bricks, which came from various brick kilns along the James River in Virginia. At $155,000 the second Cape Hatteras Light was one of the more expensive lights on the East Coast and no expense was spared on the design and materials. In 1867, Congress appropriated the necessary funds and construction was begun in 1868. Based on Newman's report, it was the board's recommendation that the lighthouse be replaced with something more modern in order to handle the evergrowing shipping needs in this important and dangerous area. ![]() Newman, informed the new Light-House Board that the existing light was in bad shape and beyond repair. This work was completed in 1854.Īt the end of the Civil War, engineer for the Fifth District, William J. So, in 1851 the Lighthouse Board, after hearing many complaints and recommendations, decided to have the lighthouse raised to 150 feet as well as be fitted with a new first-order Fresnel lens. Their complaint was that the light had little or no visibility during haze or low fog. The lighthouse, which contained Argand lamps and parabolic reflectors, was considered by most ships' captains to be unsatisfactory. The builder was Henry Dearborn, a man who had attained a respected reputation as a physician, congressman, Revolutionary war officer and later, Ambassador of Portugal. It was an octagonal tower built of sandstone block sitting on a stone foundation. The new tower was originally 95 feet above sea level. But because of fiscal restraints and indecision, nothing was done for six years.įinally, in 1802, money was appropriated to build a light at Cape Hatteras. Shippers had been complaining for years about the dangerous shoals located off the coast. In 1796 The United States Congress took up the debate as to whether a lighthouse should be constructed on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. ![]()
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