The area I've circled in red is a portion of the "Graveyard of the Atlantic".
So the Federal Government, after two tries, were successful in completing the below to appease petitioning ship captains. The tower is still used as a navigational aid.
The two initial Bodie Island lighthouses were actually located south of the Oregon Inlet.
The first one was built in 1847 but was abandoned in 1859 due to significant foundational issues. The 54 foot tower had begun to lean and no amount of repairs fixed the problem.
The second one, an 80 foot tower, was built nearby in 1859. By 1861, the Civil War was in full force and the Confederates blew up this one so that Union troops could not use it.
Below is a picture of the Bodie (pronounced body) Island Lighthouse with its keepers quarters. A 156 foot tower first completed in 1872 and recently restored between 2009 and 2013.
There are public tours of the lighthouse from late April to early October. Of course, I was there in mid-March so I didn't get to go in the lighthouse but the restored keepers quarters are a visitor center and ranger office for the Cape Hatteras National Seashore and it was open.
(See http://www.nps.gov/caha/historyculture/bodie-island-light-station.htm )
No comments:
Post a Comment