The coastland times. [volume] (Mnateo [i.e. Manteo], N.C.) 1947-1959, 1951-10-26
OCRACOKE LIGHT
MIGHTY OLD BUT
MADE LIKE NEW
Improvements to 12S-Yr. Old
Structure Double Original
Cost of $4,000
By ALICE X. RONDTHALER

Historic Ocracoke Island light
house, oldest on the North Carolina
Coast, and one of the oldest still
in use on the Atlantic Coast, is
undergoing its second major oper-
alton in two years. In November
1850 new steel spiral stairway
replaced the old wooden circular
stairs. Now, it is a matter of face
lifting. For six weeks or more the
lighthouse has been encircled with
steel scaffolding and the noise of
sandblasting has drowned out the
! pounding of the Atlantic surf. &C.
ment dust has filled the air, an
noying the nearby housewives. The
sand blasting has left the tower
rought raw-red by penetrating
to the original brick structure. Wis
. itors approaching the Island on the
mailboat from Atlantic have miss
ed the 80-foot white tower as their
first object glimpsed from Core
Sound. The red brick tower is
scarcely discernible until the boat
comes abreast Of the Island. To the
historically sentimental person
there was excitement in the fact
that for a brief period he could
touch and admire the original mas
onry put there hundred and twen-
ty-eight years ago.
Within the past week progress
has been made on recoating the
exterior; a gruesome gray cement
replaces the raw-red effect to a
thickness of one and three-fourths
inches. A mixture of Shotcrete,
sand and cement, is being applied
over wire reinforcing and this will
ultimately be covered with ever
lasting white, eliminating the need
for future painting. The work is
being done by the Hunt Water
proofing Company of Norfolk; ap-
proximate cost is $4,000. The orig
inal cost of the tower in 1893 was
approximately $4,000; improve
ments and installation of modern
lighting equipment since then
makes its present evaluation ap-
proximately $4,000.
The need of lighthouse for
Ocracoke Inlet dates back to the
early days of the Republic when
sites at Ocracoke and Cape Hat
teras were both under considera-
tion. By 1895 interested citizens
had decided to the State or Federal
Government several tracts of land
along the Carolina coast, among
them an acre on Ocracoke Island,
ten acres on Cape Fear, all of Bea-
con Island Tin Pamlico Sound, OPP
posite Ocracoke Inlet), four acres
at Cape Hatteras, and a parcel of
land on Shell Castle Island (near
Beacon Island, opposite Ports
MOUTH.
At Ocracoke in September 1870
an acre of land was decided by Will
liam Williams, John Williams, JOS
eph Williams, William Howard, Jr.,
and Henry Gerrish (Garrish); at
Shell Castle Island in November
1897 lot was decided by ]. G.
Blount' and John Wallace. 1t was
upon this last-named plot, on Shell
Castle Island, that the first light
structure was built in 1898 by H.
Dearborn, Esq, who also had the
contract at that time for the build
ing of the Cape Hatteras struc-
ture. Congress had appropriated
$4,000 for the two structures.
In process of time, according to
a report by S. Pleasonton, Fifth
Auditor of the Treasury, the Shell
Castle Island structure was render
ed altogether useless, due to the
fact that the channel leading to
Ocracoke Inlet moved away from
the lighthouse distance of one
mile. A new appropriation of $780,
600 was then made by Congress
and the present Ocracoke Island
tower was built in 1928.
Had the original Hatteras light
house, built in 1898, stood the raw
ages of Atlantic storms, it would
today be the oldest of the six North
Carolina lights, but it proved mad
equate and was replaced in 1871
by the present tower, which has
the distinction of being the high.
est brick lighthouse (19S feet) in
the world.
The present Ocracoke Island
tower was erected in 1928 not on
the land ceded in 1870, but upon
two acres purchased by the FEEDER
al Government in December 1922
from Jacob Gaskill. Contractor was
Noah Porter Of Massachusetts. In
1860 Franklin lamps replaced the
old valve lamp, but were removed
early in the struggle of the War
between the States, not to shine
again until late in 1868. Since then
the light has shown continuously
except for minor lapses of short
duration, and now with the use of
electricity and modern automatic
machinery the danger of blackouts
is practically nil. If the local cleo
trio plant fails, an auxiliary motor
Of the EOhtholIQa inmQdiatelv