The Lighthouse by Dudley Witney

On a Facebook RV group I belong to, a family has posted that they’re going to visit as many of the lighthouses on the North Carolina outer banks as are open to visitors. Their “‘”oldest” had done a lighthouse project at school and was quite excited about making this trip. It reminded me of this wonderful coffee table book I have that I used to take in to school from time to time for various purposes but the photos are amazing and there are two complete maps that show were each lighthouse along the North American Atlantic Coast is located. (I love books with maps!) So I thought I’d share a bit about it here and post them the link because I think lighthouses and their histories are amazing.

One of the lighthouses this family is planning to visit is Ocracoke Lighthouse in Ocracoke Village at the south end of Cape Hatteras National Seashore. There is a discovery centre there and although you can’t climb up to the light, you can visit the base of the lighthouse. There are lots of photos of this and other area lighthouses in this book but this is the one I liked the best.

Oracoke Light

This light was the first of 2 lighthouses on Shell Castle Island but shifting sands eroded the beach to the point that it became totally useless for navigation purposes as it was too far from the entrance to the channel. So a second light had to be built.

Cape Hatteras Island is actually a low lying sandbar. Over time, the beach there had also eroded and the lighthouse had to be abandoned in 1935. Another was built, but seawalls were erected and the beach was reclaimed until they were able to reopen the lighthouse in 1950 and its lamp was relit. When it was built in 1871, it was the tallest brick lighthouse in the world. It is still the highest structure of its kind in North America. The picture was taken in 1898.

Cape Hatteras Island 1898

The family won’t be able to see this next lighthouse because it was demolished in 1962. This is what is called a screw pile lighthouse and was erected at Old Plantation Flats. I think it’s really cool and so had to include it.

Old Plantation Flats screwpile lighthouse. Dem 1962.

The book covers lighthouses all the way down the coast of North America, from Belle Isle North End off the coast of Labrador to Sand Key, Florida. There are two chapters at the beginning of the book that tell a lot about the lure of the lights and how the buildings and the lamps themselves are built including the modern technology that allows lighthouses to be automated. There is quite a bit of variety and, of course, in the beginning, the lights were manned by humans, often at risk to their own lives. It was an isolating existence but a rewarding one, saving many ships and their crews.

I leave you with one last picture because it is my favourite. This is a shot taken of Fame Point lighthouse in Quebec, Canada. We tend to get a lot of snow here.

Fame Point, Quebec lighthouse

I hope you folks enjoy your trip to the lighthouses and post all about it when you get back. Cheers!