Currituck Beach Light Station

http://www.cur r ituckbeachlight.com/?utm_sour ce=www.visitnc.com&utm_medium=website&utm

_campaign=downstr eam-r ef er r al
Dir ections: Using the tabs at the top, r ead the inf or mation f r om the “Home”, ”Histor y” , ”Visit”
and “Lighthouse Keeper s” tabs
1. Wher e is the Lighthouse located?
• Nor ther n Outer Banks, in the histor ic Cor olla Village
2. Descr ibe what your lighthouse looks like? (Color , what it is made of )
• I t has a 20 second f lash cycle, it made out of r ed br ick
3. How many steps does it take to get to the top?
• 220 steps
4. How many f eet tall is the lighthouse?
• 162 f eet
5. How thick ar e the walls of the base of the lighthouse?
• 5 f eet, 8 inches
6. What views can you see once you ar e at the top?
• Cur r ituck Sound, Atlantic Ocean, and Cur r ituck Outer Banks
7. How f ar into the ocean can the light f r om the lighthouse be seen?
• 18 nautical miles
8. What ar e two impor tant f acts about this lighthouse that makes it dif f er ent than other
lighthouses?
• I t’s exter ior was lef t unpainted and gives today’s visitor a sense of the multitude of
br icks used to f or m the str uctur e
• The last br ick lighthouse built on the Outer Banks
• Known as a “Fir st Or der Lighthouse” meaning it has the lar gest of seven Fr esnel
Lens sizes
9. Why was the Cur r ituck Beach Light Station built?
• I n 1872, ships, car go ships, and lives continued to become lost along the 40 miles of
dar k coastline near the Outer Banks
• Southbound ships wer e sailing closer to shor e to avoid the Gulf Str eam and wer e in
danger .
10. When was the lighthouse built?
• December 1st , 1875
11. Who was the f ir st Lighthouse Keeper ? How long did he ser ve as a Keeper ?
• Nathan H. Swain, f or 12 year s
12. Who was the Lighthouse Keeper f or the longest amount of time?
• Lor en Edwar d Tillett
13. When can you begin climbing to the top of the Lighthouse? When does it close f or climbing?
• Ear ly Spr ing f r om 9 a.m until 5 p.m
• Closes Thanksgiving Weekend
View f r om the lighthouse in a 360 view
http://www.cur r ituckbeachlight.com/lanter n-r oom/
View f r om the Lighthouse Stair case in 360 View
http://www.cur r ituckbeachlight.com/137-2/
 Bodie I sland Lighthouse
http://www.lighthousef r iends.com/light.asp?I D=357
Directions: Using the tabs at the top, read the information from the “History” , and
“Visitor I nfo”
1. What was Bodie I sland or iginally named? Why was that the name of it?
“Body I sland” because so many dead bodies wer e f ound f r om shipwr ecks
2. Descr ibe what the lighthouse looks like.
Black and white str ipes
3. How tall was the f ir st lighthouse?
Fif ty f our f eet tall
4. When was the Bodie I sland L ighthouse f inished being built?
1847
5. About how many ships had wr ecked pr evious to the lighthouse being built?
41
6. Descr ibe the lamp that was or iginally used to light up the lighthouse. Why did they
need to use a new lamp?
I t did not have a Fr esnel lens, instead it had a r evolving light that was made up
of 14 lamps, that of ten did not wor k
7. Why did they need to build a new lighthouse?
I t was built with unsuppor ted br ick that developed cr acks and leaks, and began
to sink to one side
8. How tall was the second lighthouse?
Eighty f eet tall
9. What happened to the second lighthouse af ter it was built?
The Fr esnel L ens was stolen dur ing the Civil War by Union Tr oops, and then the
Conf eder ates destr oyed the tower
10. Finally, a thir d new lighthouse was built at Bodie I sland. How tall was this
lighthouse? Why do you think they made it taller ?
164 f eet tall, they made it taller so that the light could be shown f ar ther into the
sea, it also had a better lens on it
11. Who was the f ir st head L ighthouse Keeper ?
Samuel Tillet
12. Who was the Head L ighthouse Keeper f or the longest amount of time? How long
was he the keeper f or ? (math connection)
Peter G. Gallop, f or 28 year s
13. When does the lighthouse open f or visitor s to climb up it?
Thir d Fr iday in Apr il thr ough Columbus Day
 Cape Hatteras Lighthouse
https://www.nps.gov/caha/planyour visit/chls.htm
Directions: Read the page that the link takes you to. You will find all of the answers
here.
1. Descr ibe wher e the lighthouse is located.
Atlantic Coast, near a sandbar called the Diamond Shoals
2. When can you take tour s of the lighthouse?
Thir d Fr iday in Apr il to Columbus Day in October
3. When was the f ir st Cape Hatter as L ighthouse f inished being built?
1803
4. How tall was the f ir st lighthouse that was built?
90 f eet tall
5. Why was the f ir st lighthouse not able to war n the ships that sailed near it?
I t was not tall enough, it was also unpainted, which then blended in with the
backgr ound so the signal was not str ong enough to r each mar iner s. The tower
was also poor ly constr ucted.
6. Why do the dif f er ent lighthouses in Nor th Car olina look dif f er ently (the color s of
them and the paint design)
The L ighthouse boar d assigned each lighthouse a distinctive paint patter n (day
mar k) and light sequence (night mar k) to allow mar iner s to r ecognize it dur ing
the day and night while they sailed along the coast.
7. Descr ibe what the Cape Hatter as lighthouse looks like.
Conical br ick str uctur e, octagon-shaped br ick, tallest lighthouse in the United
States. I t has black and white str ipe day mar k painted on it.
8. How tall was the lighthouse that was built in 1870? Why did they have to make it
taller ?
198.49 f eet tall
9. How f ar can the Fr esnel L ens shine f r om the shor e?
16 miles
10. I n 1999, the lighthouse was moved to a new location. Why did they have to move
the lighthouse to a new ar ea?
Ther e was er osion that was causing the lighthouse to sink. Then, a stor m swept
away the little par ts of the dunes that wer e going to cause the lighthouse to sink
mor e and then f all over .
11. How did they move the lighthouse to it’s new location?
Contr actor s had to lif t the lighthouse of f of its f oundation, loading it to a
tr anspor t system, and them moving it along a pr epar ed r oute. I t took 23 days
to move it.
12. What ar e 3 of duties that a lighthouse keeper may have.
Answer s may var y, these ar e a f ew listed. Find the r est of the answer s at the
bottom of the webpage. Hand-Car r ying f uel up to the lanter n r oom and f ueling
the lamp. Tr imming the wicks. Cleaning and polishing. Cr anking up the weight,
latching it, and letting it f r ee when they lit the lamp at night. L ightning and
extinguishing the lamp. Closing the lanter n r oom cur tains. Painting the str uctur e.
 Ocracoke Lighthouse
https://www.outer banks.com/ocr acoke-island-lighthouse.html
Directions: Read the page that the link takes you to. You will find all of the answers
here.
1. The Ocr acoke I sland L ighthouse is the oldest lighthouse in Nor th Car olina. I t is
also the second oldest in the United States.
2. How tall is the Ocr acoke L ighthouse?
65 f eet tall
3. How f ar away can the beacon light of the lighthouse be spotted?
14 – 15 miles
4. What was Ocr acoke I sland f amous f or dur ing the Colonial Per iod?
Many pir ates, such as Blackbear d visited the I sland
5. Why did the island decide to build a lighthouse?
Pir ates wer e causing pr oblems and it was needed to help mar iner s navigate
6. When was the Ocr acoke L ighthouse built?
1823
7. What is unique about the Ocr acoke L ighthouse that makes it dif f er ent than the
other lighthouses in Nor th Car olina?
I t is not able to be climbed up like all of the other lighthouses ar e.
8. Wher e is the Ocr acoke L ighthouse located specif ically?
Ocr acoke village, which is on the southeaster n cor ner of the Ocr acoke Har bor
on L ighthouse Road
9. How do you have to tr avel to go to the Ocr acoke L ighthouse and why?
BY f er r y, ther e is not a br idge that connects the islands together .
10. Why ar e visitor s not allowed to climb up the L ighthouse?
The lighthouse has saf ety concer ns f or the old str uctur e, specif ically its spir al
stair case.
11. The Ocr acoke L ighthouse is the only all white lighthouse in Nor th Car olina. Why is
this lighthouse painted white? I s it r eally made of paint? Explain.
I t is white because of the unique coating that was applied in the 1820’s. I t is
made out of lime, salt, gr ound r ice, whiting, and clear glue.
12. What kind of light does the lighthouse use? Does the light r otate like r egular
lighthouses?
Four th-Or der Fr esnel L ens and it does not r otate.
 Cape Lookout Lighthouse
http://www.car olinaouter banks.com/lookout.htm
Directions: Read the page that the link takes you to. You will find all of the answers
here.
Page One (found on the LEFT side of the page)
1. The Cape L ookout L ighthouse was built on November 1st , 1859.
2. How tall is the Cape L ookout L ighthouse?
163 f eet tall or 150 f eet tall (both answer s accepted)
3. How f ar away can the beacon light of the lighthouse be spotted?
18 – 19 nautical miles
4. How many steps does the lighthouse have?
201 ir on steps
5. Why is it so dif f icult to visit the Cape L ookout L ighthouse?
You have to take a boat to visit the lighthouse.
Page Two (click on the link on the LEFT side of the page)
6. Descr ibe what Cape L ookout L ighthouse looks like.
I t is painted white with black diamonds.
7. Why is the lighthouse painted with the design that it has?
I t is a visual illusion that ther e is two lighthouses. I t also is painted like a compass,
so if you can see the white diamonds on black, you ar e viewing the lighthouse in an
east/west or ientation. I f you ar e seeing black diamonds on white, you ar e viewing
it f r om a nor th/south or ientation.
8. When did the lighthouse open up f or visitor s to climb up it?
2010
Page Three (click on the link on the LEFT side of the page)
9. Descr ibe the view that you can see f r om the top of the lighthouse. What ar e some
things that you can see?
You can see the tip of Shacklef or d Banks. While looking ther e, you may see
Shacklef or d ponies. You also will see Beauf or t I nlet to the br idge cr ossing Bogue
Sound, which is 13 miles away.
Use the website below to learn more about the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse.
https://www.nps.gov/calo/planyourvisit/lighthouse-climbs.htm
9. When is the season f or being able to climb the lighthouse? Descr ibe the schedule.
May 16th – September 17th. Climbs ar e open on Wednesday – Sunday. Climbs
star t at 9:45 until 4:15.
10. What ar e saf ety guidelines f or climbing the lighthouse?
Childr en must be at least 44 inches tall, because str ong winds may cause them
to f all down. They must also be with an adult if they ar e 12 year s old or younger .
When climbing the lighthouse, ever yone must walk, and cannot be car r ied or
lif ted. No book bags, f ood or dr inks. You must wear shoes, no f lip f lops and no
high heels.
11. How much would it cost f or a mom, dad, a 70 year old gr andma, and two 10 year
old twins to climb the lighthouse? (Math!)
8 + 8 + 4 + 4 + 4 = $28
 Oak I sland Lighthouse
http://www.oakislandlighthouse.or g/histor y/
Directions: Read the page that the link takes you to. You will find all of the answers
here.
1. The Oak I sland L ighthouse cost $110,000 to build.
2. How tall is the Oak I sland L ighthouse?
153 f eet tall
3. What is special about the Oak I sland L ighthouse that makes it dif f er ent than most
lighthouses?
I t does not have a spir al stair case
4. How was the lighthouse built? (Think about the str uctur e of the lighthouse)
The concr ete was pour ed in to a 3 f eet deep octagonal concr ete base. The
concr ete was then pour ed into a movable f or m that was r aised up by jacks.
5. What color or color s is the lighthouse?
Natur al Gr ey (cement color ), white, and black
6. How was the aluminum lanter n installed into the lighthouse?
Mar ine Cor ps helicopter s car r ied it and installed it
7. Explain the char acter istics of the Beacon of the Oak I sland L ighthouse.
Four one-second f lashes ever y 10 seconds. I t has 8 aer o beacon lighting f ixtur es,
and it has the br ightest lights in the wor ld on it.
8. Wher e is the Oak I sland L ighthouse located?
Pr oper ty that has been in use as a US Coast Guar d station
9. When was the Oak I sland L ighthouse opened up f or tour ists to visit?
Summer of 2006
Use the website below to learn more about what it is like to climb up the lighthouse.
http://www.oakislandlighthouse.org/whats-it-like-climbing-to-the-top-first-12-steps/
9. What is the name f or the “steps” that you use to climb up to the top of the
lighthouse?
Ship’s L adder
10. What ar e two things that you will lear n about the lighthouse dur ing the tour of the
“Fir st 12 Steps”?
Answer s may var y.
You may lear n about the height, constr uction, wall color , light patter n, candle
power and distance that the light can be seen. You will also lear n about the
saf ety instr uctions of climbing.
11. What is the elevator that is in the lighthouse and what is it used f or ? Explain what
you lear ned about it.
I t is a wir e mesh basket that is used to tr anspor t heavy equipment and supplies
to the top.
 Old Baldy Lighthouse

Directions: Read the page that the link takes you to. You will find all of the answers here.
http://townofbaldheadisland.com/a-history-of-%E2%80%9Cold-baldy%E2%80%9D/

1. How did the location of the lighthouse, Bald Head I sland, get its name?
Fr om the dunes on the south beach of Smith I sland
2. Why was a lighthouse placed on Bald Head I sland?
I t was used to guide ships thr ough channels and sand bar s of the Cape Fear
River , as well as to help them avoid the Fr ying Pan Shoals
3. When was the lighthouse built (the f ir st time AND when it was r ebuilt?
Fir st built in 1795, and r ebuilt in 1816
4. Descr ibe the mater ials that wer e used to build Old Baldy?
I t is built f r om br icks and it has Nor th Car olina Yellow Pine stair s
5. What ar e the days and times that you can visit Old Baldy?
I n the Summer , you can visit Tuesday – Satur day 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and on
Sundays you can visit f r om 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
6. How do you have to tr avel to get the lighthouse and why?
By Fer r y because it is an island.
7. How much did it cost to build the lighthouse?
$16,000

Use the website below to learn more about what it is like to climb up the lighthouse.
https://www.oldbaldy.or g/index.php/histor y/the-stor y-of -old-baldy
8. What makes Old Baldy so special to Nor th Car olina?
I t is the oldest lighthouse in Nor th Car olina
9. Why does Old Baldy have so many dif f er ent color s and patches on the outside of
it?
I t was cover ed with stucco, and it was washed with “white wash” which pr otected
the stucco. When the lighthouse closed down, the stucco began to f all of f the lighthouse,
and people would come and r eplace the lighthouse with new stucco, even though it
didn’t match the or iginal stucco.
9. Descr ibe the type of light that was used in Old Baldy.
I t was 15 lamps, built as a par abolic r ef lector with hollow wick lamps, f ueled by
whale oil and on a metal r ack.
10. How many steps does the light house have?
108 steps
11. How tall is the lighthouse?
110 f eet tall
12. What special event is happening in 2017 f or Old Baldy?
I t had its 200th bir thday!