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Carolina On My Mind: Ocracoke Lighthouse The Ocracoke Lighthouse is an interesting and rich part of North Carolina’s history. I had the opportunity to visit this beautiful lighthouse recently and I found much of the history surrounding it to be very fascinating. Ocracoke Lighthouse is one of the oldest active lighthouses on the southern coast, and is the second oldest lighthouse in the United States that has been in continuous service. Ocracoke Lighthouse is located on Ocracoke Island, a sixteen-mile long barrier island, located off North Carolina’s Outer Banks. In 1585, a group of English explorers wrecked their sailing ship in Ocracoke Inlet. In 1715, Ocracoke Inlet was established as a port to help improve navigation and trade along the coast. It was the only navigable waterway that allowed ships to get to inland ports such as Elizabeth City, Edenton, and New Bern. As population began to increase throughout the 1700’s, it became obvious that a lighthouse was needed. There was much debate concerning where to place the lighthouse, on Ocracoke Island or Shell Castle Island. Eventually, it was decided that Shell Castle Island would be the best position for the new lighthouse and the North Carolina General Assembly passed an act to begin building it. Construction was delayed in 1789, because the federal government took control of all formerly state-controlled navigational aids. In 1794, the Treasury Department granted funding for the construction of the lighthouse. The Shell Castle Lighthouse was a pyramid-shaped, wooden structure, with a keeper’s house and oil vault. It was built by H. Dearborn, the same man who constructed the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse. For years it served its purpose, then in 1818, lightening destroyed the Shell Castle Lighthouse. By the time a replacement lighthouse was approved, the channel had dramatically shifted, covering Shell Castle Island.
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