The only other way to save the lighthouse, he adds, would have been to build Fort Knox around it, eventually letting it become an island, but that would have been more costly in the long run. Besides, North Carolina law forbids the construction of sea walls to protect the shoreline. Work continued in September to fill the new foundation with some 144,000 high-strength bricks. On the rollers and above each set of guide rails, hydraulic jacks like upside-down car jacks were mounted on the rollers. A worker smears Ivory soap to the rail track so the rollers will roll easier.
Soap is a good and enviromentally safe lubricant.
It had been extinguished March 1, in anticipation of the move. The park service owns and cares for the lighthouse, which draws about 250,000 visitors a year. The Coast Guard maintains the light, which can be seen 20 to 30 miles away. The new location will be open to visitors by next Memorial Day. It will take that long to build parking lots, restrooms and other amenities at the new site.