Currituck Beach Light facts for kids
Location | Corolla, North Carolina |
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Coordinates | 36°22′36″N 75°49′51″W / 36.376667°N 75.830833°W |
Year first lit | 1875 |
Automated | 1939 |
Construction | brick |
Tower shape | Conical tower |
Height | 162 ft (49 m) |
Focal height | 158 feet (48 m) |
Original lens | First-order Fresnel lens |
Characteristic | 20-second flash cycle (on for 3 seconds, off for 17 seconds) |
The Currituck Beach Light is a famous lighthouse located on the Outer Banks in Corolla, North Carolina. This historic lighthouse was added to the National Register of Historic Places on October 15, 1973. This means it is recognized as an important historical site in the United States.
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Discovering the Currituck Beach Lighthouse
The Currituck Beach Light was finished on December 1, 1875. It stands between the Cape Henry Light and Bodie Island lighthouses. Unlike many other lighthouses, the Currituck Beach Light was not painted. Its beautiful brick walls are still visible today.
In 1939, the lighthouse became automated. This happened after the United States Coast Guard joined with the Bureau of Lighthouses. Automation meant machines took over the work of the lighthouse keepers.
Who Takes Care of the Lighthouse?
Since 1980, a group called the Outer Banks Conservationists (OBC) has worked hard to restore and care for the lighthouse. They use private donations and volunteer help. Since 1991, visitors have been able to climb the 220 original steps to the outdoor viewing area.
You cannot go into the lens room. This is because the original lens is still working! The light turns on every night. It shines from 158 feet (48 meters) high. It flashes every 20 seconds to help guide ships along the coast.
In 2003, the U.S. government gave ownership of the lighthouse to OBC. There was a legal disagreement with Currituck County about who should own it. This was settled in 2006. OBC still owns and cares for the Currituck Beach Lighthouse.
Amazing Facts About the Lighthouse
Here are some cool facts about the Currituck Beach Light:
- It has 220 steps to climb.
- The light shines from 158 feet (48 meters) above the ground.
- The very top of the roof is 162 feet (49 meters) high.
- About one million bricks were used to build it.
- The wall at the bottom is 5 feet 8 inches (1.7 meters) thick.
- The wall at the top is 3 feet (0.9 meters) thick.
- It is about 34 miles (55 km) south of the Cape Henry Lighthouse in Virginia.
- It is about 32.5 miles (52 km) north-northwest of the Bodie Island Lighthouse.
In 1872, many ships and lives were still being lost along 40 miles (64 km) of dark coastline. This area was not covered by existing lighthouses. Ships sailing closer to shore to avoid the Gulf Stream were in danger. So, construction of the Currituck Beach Lighthouse began in 1873. It was finished two years later. The date "1873" at the entrance shows when building started.
How the Light Works
The Currituck Beach Lighthouse is a first order lighthouse. This means it has the largest type of Fresnel lens. These special lenses help make the light very bright and focused.
At first, the light used a Funck's hydraulic float lamp. This lamp burned lard oil and had four wicks. Around 1884, it switched to a mineral oil (kerosene) lamp with five wicks. By 1913, it used an incandescent oil vapor lamp. This lamp used kerosene vapor forced into the burner by a hand pump.
Before electricity, a special system made the huge lenses spin. Weights hanging from a line powered a clockwork machine. It was like a grandfather clock. The lighthouse keeper had to crank the weights up by hand every two and a half hours.
Around 1939, the lighthouse became fully automated. The Coast Guard took over. Computers were installed to turn the light on automatically. Four 1000-watt bulbs were put in the light room. Only one flashed at night, with the others as backups. Because it was automated, lighthouse keepers were no longer needed.
Today, this lighthouse still helps ships navigate. The light turns on automatically at dusk and off at dawn. It has a 20-second flash cycle: on for 3 seconds, off for 17 seconds. This unique pattern helps sailors know where they are. The light can be seen for 18 nautical miles (33 km). The original four-bulb system has been replaced with two bulbs that last longer.
The Currituck Beach Lighthouse was the last big brick lighthouse built on the Outer Banks.
The Lighthouse Buildings
The Outer Banks Conservationists work to keep the lighthouse and its other buildings in good condition. You can climb the lighthouse every day from Easter until Thanksgiving.
A small house, which might have been for a third keeper, is now a museum shop. The outside of the larger Keeper's House has been fixed up. Work is still being done on the inside. Other buildings include a two-hole privy (an outdoor toilet), two cisterns (tanks that collect rainwater), and a storage building used as an office.
Lighthouse Keepers
These are some of the people who worked as lightkeepers at Currituck Beach Light:
- Captain Nathan Swain and Francis Slice Swain (1905–1920)
- Loren Edward Tillett, Sr. (1921–1930)