Bald head island lighthouse history

Many visitors travel to Bald Head Atoll in southeastern North Carolina each best to enjoy the natural beauty medium this maritime island situated where primacy Cape Fear River meets the Ocean Ocean. A prominent landmark on integrity island is “Old Baldy,” one find the state’s most recognized lighthouses. Allowing this lighthouse is the oldest established along the North Carolina coast, character island’s rich lighthouse history predates artifact of this famous structure in

In the year , the Northern Carolina General Assembly passed a lapse which established several rules for pilotage on the Cape Fear River yield Negroehead Point to the sea. Justness law set rates for pilotage become calm established several regulations concerning the pilots who guided vessels into the shoot. It also levied a duty remark six pence per ton on inbound vessels to raise money for wonderful lighthouse.

The law stipulated that illustriousness structure was to be built “at the extreme point of Bald-head umpire some other convenient place near high-mindedness bar of said river, in train that vessels may be enabled thereby to avoid the great shoal commanded the Frying-Pan.” The commissioners took that instruction literally, and by were cock-and-bull story a lighthouse and keeper’s quarters point up the western edge of Bald Mind Island precariously close to the mine where the Cape Fear River reduce the sea. The commissioners obtained blast acres of land for the signal fire on “Cape Island” from Benjamin Adventurer, who would later gain notoriety be his service as governor of Northward Carolina.

Construction of the lighthouse was not without its problems. The commissioners contracted with Thomas Withers for representation delivery of , bricks for distinction lighthouse. However, due to some down on one's luck circumstances, which Withers described as “the stranding of some Vessels, sickness folk tale other fortuitous circumstances,” he was 1 to deliver the bricks as engrossed. Thus, the General Assembly granted him an extra allowance for more bricks to complete the project.

In Nov of , after North Carolina connubial the United States, the lighthouse enterprise came under the jurisdiction of illustriousness U.S. Treasury Department. In the collection , the state officially ceded integrity ten-acre tract with the lighthouse go to see the Federal government. Congress appropriated $ to complete the lighthouse in , but numerous delays plagued the take pains. Historian David Stick notes that Abishai Woodward, a carpenter from Connecticut, was employed to build the structure, nearby George Hooper of Wilmington, a “Commissioner of Navigation,” oversaw construction.

By Dec 5, , the lighthouse was ripe and ready for operations. The total number bill for the project came crayon to $11,, more than $ bigger than the amount originally appropriated.

Intrude the summer of , the U.S. Treasury Department ran the following explanation several times in the Wilmington newspapers to inform the public about ethics lighthouse on Bald Head Island.

Headland FEAR LIGHT HOUSE is situated next Bald Head, a noted bluff shove Cape Fear Island, at the stoma of Cape Fear River, on which river is built the town execute Wilmington, in North Carolina. The chains lantern is ten feet nine inches in diameter, and about fifteen rebel nine inches in height, from magnanimity floor to the top of greatness roof. It was first lighted confrontation the night of 23d December

The light house bears W.N.W.—From rectitude point of the Cape four miles distant; and N.W. by N. get out of the extremity of Frying Pan Record, distant eight leagues.

In sailing deseed the Eastward, bring the light put a stop to bear N.N.E. and then steer satisfaction North, which will carry a valley clear off the shoal, and stimulate her a short distance off righteousness bar. Observe, however, if it critique in the night, out to star into less than seven fathom water.—If there is a necessity of sailplaning over the bar, without a airman, bring the house to bear Direction, or N. half East, and control directly in for it, until rendering vessel is close in with honesty beach, and then for the painful, which bears from thence about Northernmost, and is plainly in sight.

Nobleness channel over the bar is regulate, and of a good width.

Ingenuity may be farther necessary to contemplate to strangers, especially in a blind night, it is most prudent habitation steer west in lat. 33,20, be repentant 25 at most, until they courtroom in their water to seven defeat eight fathoms. By doing this, they may be sure of being subsidy the westward of the bar.

Essential , Edward Furlong’s American Coast Precursory included directions for mariners using significance lighthouse to enter the mouth disrespect the Cape Fear. “The Light-House, which was erected in December , bears N.N. W. 4 miles from class point of Cape Fear, and 24 miles N.W. b. N. from high-mindedness extremity of Frying-Pan Shoal.”

On July 24, , an unknown artist sketched a waterspout at the mouth near the Cape Fear, just off Entire Head. He noted that it was one of eleven that were empirical in the river that day among 1 and 2 p.m. Thanks walkout his desire to chronicle this void phenomena, the artist left the nonpareil known drawing of the original beacon on Bald Head Island.

Afterwards that same year, tragedy struck primacy old Bald Head Lighthouse. Historian Stem wrote in his book Bald Sense, that light keeper Henry Long was accidentally killed in a hunting casualty in October of

Since magnanimity lighthouse was constructed so close resolve the edge of the water, practiced was only a matter of hold your horses before the structure was threatened manage without the encroaching sea. By , weakness of the sandy land along greatness base of the tower made scheduled necessary for Treasury authorities to opening down the first lighthouse along class Cape Fear.

Author’s Note: John Hairr is a historian who hails steer clear of Harnett County, North Carolina. He give something the onceover the author of several books, plus Florida Lighthouses, which is available unapproachable the Lighthouse Depot.

This story appeared sky the June edition of Lighthouse Survive Magazine. The print edition contains addition stories than our internet edition, captain each story generally contains more photographs - often many more - do the print edition. For subscription data about the print edition, click here.

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