17 Oak Island Lighthouse Facts: History, Mysteries & Much More
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The Oak Island Lighthouse is situated on the eastern parts of Oak Island, on Caswell Beach Road.
The structure was founded on an expansive site that belonged to the coast guard station, which has been active since 1932. Before the construction, the plot was a lifesaving station.
The Oak Island light was, at one time, one of the brightest in all of the United States, and today, it is one of several historical landmarks that are present in the United States.
The lighthouse has historical significance, and even though it is not as old as other lighthouses in the country, it is unique in its own way.
The Oak Island Lighthouse is one of the top tourist destinations in North Carolina, and the mystery behind the structure is a major draw! The tower is illuminated with 16 LED lights that give off four one-second light bursts in 10-second delays and has a total luminous range of 20.5 nautical miles (37.9 km).
The town has owned the tower since 2004, and a small group does the maintenance.
If you like this article about Oak Island Lighthouse facts, be sure to check out articles about the lighthouse at Alexandria, Egypt, and St Augustine lighthouse facts too!
History Of The Oak Island Lighthouse
The Oak Island Lighthouse is one of the most recent lighthouses in the United States and was constructed as a long-standing structure for the future. The year 1849 saw the construction of two lighthouses on Oak Island after an inlet was formed because of a hurricane in 1761.
The inlet became an excellent passage to the port of Wilmington, and the lighthouses were constructed to aid vessels coming to the port.
Unfortunately, the two lighthouses were demolished in 1879 during the civil war; two more lighthouses were constructed as replacements. One of the new lighthouses was lost to fire, and the destruction of the second lighthouse is still a mystery to people.
Cape Fear Lighthouse was built on the coast of North Carolina as a replacement for the smaller lighthouse in Bald Head Island. Soon, in 1958, the Oak Island Lighthouse was built, and the Cape Fear Lighthouse was decommissioned as the new Oak Island Lighthouse was bigger and better than its predecessor.
Unlike the older lighthouses it followed, the lighthouse lacks a spiral staircase.
The Oak Island Lighthouse achieved a unique status as it became one of the few lighthouses constructed along the coast of North Carolina.
The lighthouse, along with the surrounding property, was transferred to the town of Caswell Beach with the beachfront property adjacent to it. The coast guard kept the responsibility of the maintenance of the lights.
Today, Caswell Beach has all the responsibilities that involve the maintenance of the lighthouse and the grounds around it. The town provides access to the lighthouse through boardwalk access that leads to the observation deck.
The U.S Congress permitted the transfer of a small section of land near the entrance of Fort Caswell from the army to the U.S. Life Saving Service. This plot allocation helped establish the first Oak Island Life Saving Station.
The original life-saving station house was moved across the street from the main gate of the current Coast Guard station. Today the old life-saving station is a private residence.
In 1889, the employees who cared for the tower comprised one station keeper, one rowed lifeboat and six surfmen. The construction of a new station house, a larger 10,000 sq. ft (929 sq. m) facility for the Coast Guard in 1992 saw the end of the use of the old tower.
Construction Of The Oak Island Lighthouse
The mechanical Oak Island Lighthouse building was completed at the cost of $110,000 in 1958. It was made to replace the manned lighthouse situated near Bald Head Island.
The lights of the lighthouse are 169 ft (51.5 m) above water level and are visible from a distance of 16 mi (25.7 km), even though the actual structure is 153 ft (46.6 m) high.
The structure stands atop a slight rise hence the elevation range of 169 ft (51.5 m) of the lights atop the tower, as recorded on nautical charts. The tower is built to withstand wind speeds of around 100 mph (160.9 kph).
Unlike other older lighthouses, the Oak Island Lighthouse does not use a spiral staircase and uses several ship ladders. The lantern gallery is accessible after climbing a total of 131 steps.
The construction features of the actual structure include concrete-filled pilings that are 10.75 in (27.3 cm) in diameter and 67 ft (20.4 m) deep. The main tower structure is 128 ft (39 m) tall and was built using strengthened concrete.
The concrete was poured constantly until the structure took a movable form, and it was raised about 1 ft (0.3 m) per hour using jacks.
This task was completed using a concrete mixing plant on site for constant operation for a period of seven days. A three stripe color pattern was cast into the concrete.
The first 40 ft (12.1 m) of the structure took the natural gray coloration of portland cement.
White quartz aggregate and white portland cement were used to give the white color for the next 50 ft (15.2 m), while gray portland cement and black coloring were used at the top 52 ft (15.8 m) of the structure.
The tower's windows were made from stainless steel, and vinyl was used to replace some of the strips of the tower.
The tower's construction was done by Brinkley, W.F. & Son Construction Co., situated in Granite Quarry, North Carolina.
When the lighthouse was first activated in 1958, the lower bank used mercury arc lamps in 36-in (91.4 cm) reflectors! These reflectors were inspired by the aircraft spotlights used during World War II. The massive light-emitting beacon characteristics made the Oak Island light the most luminous in the United States.
The Sullivan's Island Lighthouse erected in 1962 in South Carolina became the brightest light along the part of the Atlantic Coast after its construction. The primary beacon of the lighthouse was changed from the 36-in (91.4 cm) bottom lights to 1000 watt bulbs and 24-in (60.9 cm) reflectors in 1962.
The tower's triple-band coloration is caused by the use of gray portland cement, natural gray cement, white portland cement mixed with white quartz, and black coloring.
Tourism: Oak Island Lighthouse
Oak Island is a privately-owned site, and pre-bookings are the only way to get guided tours.
The tours usually allow tourists to climb the tower all year but with one restriction. Visitors need to be at least nine years old to climb the tower.
Furthermore, tours require reservations that should be made two weeks in advance. Scheduled tours are provided to cut out on crowds. The Observation deck, Fort Caswell, and the illumination of the Oak Island light are parts of the tour.
Visitors to Oak Island can easily reach the Oak Island Lighthouse by heading east on Caswell Beach Road. The structure, which extends 169 ft (51.5 m) into the air, stands out in a relatively undeveloped area adjacent to the U.S. Coast Guard Station.
Mysteries Behind The Oak Island Lighthouse
The mysteries behind the oak island refer to various stories of the presence of unexplainable objects and buried treasure on Oak Island. Several attempts from curious minds have been made over the years to find said artifacts and treasures in the region.
Theories persist that the Knights Templar buried the Ark of the Covenant and the Holy Grail in the region.
Over the years, a total of six men have lost their lives in an effort to find the buried treasure.
Did You Know?
The U.S Coast Guard installed a revolving LED beacon atop the Oak Island Lighthouse on December 10, 2020. The lighting apparatus was changed for the first time since 1958, and the beacon characteristic helps in aiding navigation for vessels in the region.
A fire destroyed the coast guard station in 2002, just ten years after its construction. The house was reconstructed, closely resembling the old design, and is still used today.
The lanterns used in the lighthouse are 11 ft (3.3 m) tall and were installed by a Marine Corps helicopter!
Decommissioned lighthouses are often sold for little money! Some have sold for as low as $10,000, and a few have even been given away for free.
Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created many interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for oak island lighthouse facts, then why not take a look at fun facts about lighthouses or Australian culture facts?
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Bachelor of Science specializing in Microbiology
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