Item # HL442
The very first lighthouse in North Carolina was erected on Bald Head Island, right where navigators needed it the most. The perilous conditions near Bald Head Island were increased by the presence of the nearby Frying Pan Shoals. These hazardous underwater obstacles extend more than twenty miles south of nearby Bald Head Island, known in its early days as Smith Island. Congress appropriated funds for a station, selecting a 95-foot octagonal brick tower for the new sentinel. Completed in 1818, this remarkable feat of engineering still stands strong, having been built of the very best materials of its time. The lighthouse, affectionately called "Old Baldy", was originally lighted by fifteen whale oil lamps and reflectors and had a fixed white beacon with a focal plane of 109-feet above sea level.
By the late 1880's, it became apparent that the light at Bald Head was not sufficient to warn vessels of the nearby shoals. A lightship called the Frying Pan was put into place in 1894, and in 1903, a majestic lighthouse was constructed on the southeast corner of the island. The new Cape Fear Light sported a powerful first order Fresnel lens and could be seen by ships for 19 nautical miles. Old Baldy was relegated to a fourth order harbor light and deactivated in 1935.
Today, Bald Head Lighthouse stands within a beautiful natural environment. Most of the island's 12,000 acres are forever preserved and protected from development. The sentinel is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is open to the public for climbing. -- $45.95
