Roanoke River Light facts for kids
| Location | in Albemarle Sound at the mouth of the Roanoke River; moved to Edenton, North Carolina |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 36°03′22″N 76°36′39″W / 36.056029°N 76.610905°W (present) |
| Year first lit | 1867 (first light) 1903 (second light) |
| Deactivated | 1941 |
| Foundation | screw-pile |
| Construction | cast-iron/wood |
| Tower shape | square house w/central lantern (first) square house w/tower at corner (second) |
| Height | 35 feet (11 m) |
| Original lens | fourth-order Fresnel lens |
The Roanoke River Lighthouse is a historic lighthouse in Edenton, North Carolina. It no longer guides ships, but it has a very interesting past! This lighthouse once stood in Albemarle Sound at the mouth of the Roanoke River. It is the only screw-pile lighthouse (a type of lighthouse built on long metal screws drilled into the seabed) still standing in North Carolina. What makes it even more special is that it has been moved twice, and a copy of an older version of the light stands in another town!
Contents
History of the Roanoke River Lighthouse
Early Days: Lightship and First Lighthouse
The story of the Roanoke River Lighthouse began in 1835. Back then, there wasn't a building, but a special boat called a lightship. This boat had lights to help ships navigate the waters. It used red, blue, and green lenses to shine its light.
During the American Civil War, this lightship was captured by Confederate forces. They took it up the Roanoke River and sank it so it couldn't be used by the other side.
The first permanent lighthouse building was put up in 1866. It was a square screw-pile lighthouse, much like others built in the area. Sadly, this first lighthouse caught fire in March 1885. It was rebuilt that same year. However, in the winter that followed, moving ice broke some of its support poles, and the building fell into the water!
A New Design and Deactivation
A new lighthouse was built at the same spot in 1887. This one was also a screw-pile structure, but it looked a bit different from the usual design. Instead of one story, it had two. The lantern, which held the lamp, was on a tower that rose from one corner of the building, not in the middle of the roof. This new light used a special lens called a fourth-order Fresnel lens, which made the light very bright and focused.
Over time, fewer ships traveled through this area. Because of this, the lighthouse was no longer needed to guide boats. In 1941, it was officially stopped from operating, or "decommissioned." However, it was left standing in the water.
Moving the Lighthouse: A Big Adventure
The lighthouse stayed empty until the mid-1950s. In 1955, a local fisherman named Elijah Tate bought it from the Coast Guard for just $10! He had tried to move other lighthouses before, but they were all destroyed.
Tate then sold the Roanoke River lighthouse to Emmett Wiggins. Wiggins was a tugboat operator who also moved old ships and structures. He came up with a clever plan to move the lighthouse. He used a large boat, a surplus Landing Craft Infantry (LCI), which is a type of boat used to land troops.
Wiggins partially filled his LCI boat with water and removed all but the four corner support poles of the lighthouse. Then, he carefully positioned the LCI under the lighthouse. As he pumped the water out of the LCI, the boat slowly rose up and lifted the lighthouse off its remaining supports.
The lighthouse was then moved to a spot on the shore near Edenton, North Carolina. It stayed there for over 50 years! From 1960 until he passed away in 1995, Emmett Wiggins actually lived in the lighthouse.
A Replica and a Final Home
Officials from the maritime museum in Plymouth, North Carolina wanted to buy the lighthouse from Wiggins. But a deal wasn't made before he died. His family asked for a million dollars, which was too much. So, the museum decided to build a copy of the earlier lighthouse, using old plans. Construction on this replica started in 2001 and was finished in 2003. This copy now stands across the street from the maritime museum in Plymouth.
In 2007, the Edenton Historical Society successfully bought the original lighthouse for $225,000. On May 23, 2007, it was moved again by a large boat to the waterfront in Edenton.
In 2009, the State of North Carolina provided $1.2 million to restore the lighthouse. However, in 2010, workers preparing the new site smelled something strange. It turned out to be petroleum, likely from an old oil company that used to be there. Because of this, the town decided to move the lighthouse permanently over the water instead of on land.
Restoration work on the lighthouse began in 2010. The roof was replaced with the same materials as the original, and all the windows and doors were fixed. The inside of the lighthouse was also restored, with furniture from the time period. This work was finished in 2014.
Visiting the Lighthouse Today
Today, the Roanoke River Lighthouse is one of several important places you can visit in Historic Edenton. It's a great example of how old buildings can be saved and given new life. Other historic sites in Edenton include the James Iredell House, Barker House, Cupola House, Chowan County Courthouse, and St. Paul's Church.
