Bald Head Light facts for kids
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| "Old Baldy" | |
| Location | Bald Head Island, Cape Fear River, North Carolina |
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| Coordinates | 33°52′24.5″N 78°0′1.25″W / 33.873472°N 78.0003472°W |
| Year first constructed | 1817 |
| Year first lit | 1817 |
| Deactivated | light beacon, 1935 radio beacon, 1958 |
| Foundation | Dressed stone |
| Construction | Brick |
| Tower shape | Octagonal |
| Markings / pattern | Mottled stucco plaster (originally white) |
| Height | 110 feet (34 m) |
| Original lens | 15 Lewis lamps, 1817 3rd order Fresnel lens, 1855 4th order fixed Fresnel lens, 1903 to 1935 |
| Range | 14-15 miles (Fresnel lens) |
| Characteristic | fixed white 1817 flashing red with 30 second delay 1834 flashing white 1893 fixed white, 1903 to 1935 |
The Bald Head Lighthouse, also known as Old Baldy, is the oldest lighthouse still standing in North Carolina. It is the second of three lighthouses built on Bald Head Island. These lighthouses helped guide ships safely past dangerous sandbars at the mouth of the Cape Fear river.
Contents
The First Lighthouse: A Guiding Light
North Carolina's first lighthouse was built on Bald Head Island. It was located along the banks of the Cape Fear River. The land for the lighthouse was bought in 1792. Work on the lighthouse was led by Abisha Woodward. He also built other lighthouses in Connecticut and New York.
This first lighthouse started working on December 23, 1794. It helped ships find their way to the Cape Fear River. It also guided them to the growing port of Wilmington. But after less than 20 years, the river bank began to wear away. This erosion threatened the lighthouse. So, plans were made to build a new one.
Building Old Baldy: A Stronger Tower
The new lighthouse, called "Old Baldy," was finished by 1817. It was built further inland to protect it from the shifting sands. The builders used bricks from the old lighthouse. This saved money and honored the first tower.
A stone sign above the entrance shows that Daniel S. Way built it. The lantern room was also reused from the old lighthouse. Old Baldy is an octagonal (eight-sided) brick tower. It stands 110 feet (34 m) tall. It was first painted white.
Inside, a wooden stairway leads to the top. The walls are very thick at the bottom. They get thinner as they go up. The lantern room is slightly off-center. This is because it sits on one of the tower's support beams.
Life as a Lighthouse Keeper
Old Baldy was first lit in 1817. Its first keeper was Sedgwick Springs. He was a soldier from the American Revolution. President Thomas Jefferson chose him for the job. Sedgwick Springs was the keeper for over 30 years.
However, Old Baldy soon had problems. It was not tall enough. Its light was not strong enough, especially in bad weather. In 1834, an inspector noted the light had 15 lamps. It was 109 feet (33 m) above sea level.
In 1836, the inspector checked again. He said Keeper Springs was old and sick. But the light still showed well from a distance. Keeper Springs died the next year. He had served the lighthouse for a long time.
Changes and New Lighthouses
Old Baldy's location was also a problem. It was about four miles from the island's eastern end. Its light was not strong enough to guide ships past Frying Pan Shoals. These are dangerous sandbars, especially during storms or fog. So, a lightship was placed on the shoals in 1854.
In 1855, a fog bell was added near Old Baldy. The lighthouse also got a better Fresnel lens. This new lens made the light stronger. It also made the light flash differently. This helped sailors tell it apart from other nearby lights.
Old Baldy was turned off in 1866. A new lighthouse was built at the mouth of the Cape Fear River. But this new light was soon useless. So, Old Baldy was lit again in 1880. It helped guide ships through a channel called Oak Island Channel.
People wanted to make Old Baldy taller. They also wanted a more powerful light. This would make it a major coastal beacon. But these plans were never approved. Instead, a new lighthouse was built in 1898. This was the Cape Fear Lighthouse. It was 184 feet (56 m) tall and had a very strong light. It was built on the southeastern end of Bald Head Island. It helped mark the dangerous shoals. The Cape Fear Light served from 1903 to 1958.
Even after the Cape Fear Lighthouse was built, Old Baldy stayed active. It had a fixed light until 1935. It also had a radio beacon until 1958. It mainly helped ships enter the Cape Fear River. In 1958, the Oak Island Lighthouse was built. Both Old Baldy and the Cape Fear Lighthouse were then turned off. The Cape Fear Lighthouse was torn down. But Old Baldy still stands today. It is a day beacon and a symbol of Bald Head Island. The lighthouse has been fixed up and visitors can climb it.
Old Baldy was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1975. In 1995, a plaque was put in the lighthouse. It celebrated Old Baldy's reopening after many years of repairs.
Lighthouse Keepers
Here are some of the people who kept the light burning at Bald Head Lighthouse:
- Henry Long (1794 – 1806)
- Sedgwick Springs (1807 – 1837)
- Bryan Morse (1837 – 1848)
- Francis Morse (1848 – 1853)
- William R. Sellers (1853 – 1857)
- James R. Flowers (1857 – 1859)
- T. M. Thompson (1859 - light extinguished during Civil War)
- John Bell (1865 – 1866)
- James S. Sanders (1866)
- Joseph A. Bell (1879 – 1881)
- John R. Newton (1881 – 1882)
- Asa Ross (1882)
- James Henry Dosher (1882 – at least 1913)
Smith Island Museum of History
The Old Baldy Foundation takes care of Old Baldy. They also run the Smith Island Museum of History. This museum is next to the lighthouse. It is a copy of an old lighthouse keeper's home from the 1850s.
The museum shows how keepers lived long ago. It has old furniture and lighthouse items. You can see parts of the lens from the Cape Fear Lighthouse. The museum also has exhibits about Old Baldy's history. It tells the story of Bald Head Island too.
Old Baldy and Hurricane Fran
In 1996, Hurricane Fran hit the coast of North Carolina. Some people were still on Bald Head Island. As the hurricane got stronger, some islanders went to the Bald Head Lighthouse for safety.
The lighthouse was only slightly damaged. It is one of the safest buildings on the island. Its walls are five feet thick, made of brick and plaster. Old Baldy has survived many storms. It is known to withstand at least Category 3 hurricanes.
Images for kids
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An old photo of Bald Head Lighthouse
