Although the present-day tower that still serves as a functioning navigational aid was constructed in , two previous versions of the Bodie Island Lighthouse were built on the same site during the middle of the 19 th century.
Coste to the Outer Banks of North Carolina to search for potential places to build a new lighthouse that would aid mariners attempting to navigate the shallow shoals of the Graveyard of the Atlantic. According to the National Park Service, ships heading south toward Cape Point from northeastern North Carolina were in need of a beacon of light that could alert them to their position and let them know they would soon be nearing the treacherous waters where the Gulf Stream and Labrador Current converge.
To assist these mariners by providing them with plenty of time to alter their positions as they came closer to Cape Point, Congress appropriated funds for the construction of the Bodie Island Lighthouse that same year. Despite the approval of a lighthouse on the southern end of Nags Head in the late s, a series of complications during the process of purchasing the land delayed the construction until Just two years after construction was complete, the foot-tall tower began to lean to one side.
Although several expensive repairs were performed in an attempt to fix the structural issues and save the structure, the first Bodie Island Lighthouse was deemed ineffective and ultimately demolished in This lighthouse was significantly sturdier than its predecessor; however, it also fell victim to an unfortunate fate just a few years after construction of the foot-tall tower was complete.
Because Confederate troops who were retreating from the Outer Banks during the Civil War feared enemy Union forces would use the structure as an observation post, Confederates blew up the lighthouse in For the Bodie Island Lighthouse, the third time proved to be the charm.
Standing feet high and equipped with a first-order Fresnel lens, it flashes its , candlepower beacon 19 miles over the ocean. The Currituck Beach Lighthouse is considered its architectural twin. At Bodie Island, you have the chance to climb the lighthouse at your own pace and take in the gorgeous natural surroundings of Bodie Island, the Atlantic Ocean, and Pamlico Sound. Climbing hours are every 30 minutes, and start at am daily.
Tickets are required. Climb tickets are available on a first come, first served basis and can only be purchased in-person at the site the day of the climb. There are no advance ticket sales for regular climbs. Ticket sales begin at 9 am, with climb times running every 20 minutes with a limit of eight visitors per climb.
The last climb takes place at pm. Ticket holders should arrive at the base of the lighthouse five minutes prior to their ticketed climb time. In , Keeper Gaskill provided the following description of his duties: As Keeper in charge of this station, I am responsible for the proper execution of the duties whether performed by myself or Asst. I light [the] lamp in tower every other evening and raise curtains so the light will be visible to passing ships.
Keeper performs the same duty the following evening. I watch the light [at] intervals until sunrise when I extinguish [ the] light and refill tanks with kerosene so it will be ready for lighting in the evening. Also I clean [the] lens and watch room before coming down to [the] dwelling. I am on duty about twelve hours in this instance. I have one Asst. Also keep grass cut on lawn, make minor repairs to station, such as replacing hinges when broken, painting motor boat and skiff, keep engine repaired so it can be used at any time for getting supplies and mail from nearest store and Post Office seven miles across the sound.
I put in about five hours per day at this work. Make monthly report of condition of station to district Supt. Take annual inventory and list all articles worn out, have them surveyed and condemned when Supt. Also I superintend and assist in the painting of tower outside, steps inside and whitewash inside once every five years. I attend to all correspondence from station with the Supt.
I average about two hours per day at this work. The structural preservation of the tower thus became the responsibility of Cape Hatteras National Seashore, but the Coast Guard was still in charge of maintaining the Fresnel lens, which continued to serve as a navigational aid. In , the Coast Guard announced its intentions to remove the Fresnel lens from the tower.
The lens was officially transferred at a ceremony held at the lighthouse on April 25, Public atop reopened lighthouse in As full custodian of the lighthouse, the park service developed a plan for a complete restoration of the tower, which had not received major preservation work since it was constructed.
The poor condition of the lighthouse was evidenced on August 9, when two large cast-iron chunks fell from the gallery atop the tower. Fortunately no one was injured, but the park service judiciously closed the base of the tower to visitors and erected a fence around the lighthouse to keep people a safe distance away from the tower. After funding for restoration of Bodie Island Lighthouse was removed from the federal budget in , hopes for a timely repair of the tower began to fade as the economy slipped into recession, but ironically it is often in times of scarcity that some of the most ambitious projects are undertaken.
This money was used for the repair and replacement of metalwork, the repair of masonry and stone, the rehabilitation of floors, windows and framing, and the upgrading of electrical systems. With insufficient funds to complete the restoration, the project was suspended and the exterior scaffolding was removed in March After being refurbished, the lens was stored in a secure location until it could be returned to the tower.
Work resumed in late March and was concluded the following March with the installation of the Fresnel lens. The lens was reactivated on April 18, and the following day, much to the delight of lighthouse enthusiasts, the tower was opened for climbing. The event attracted descendants from as far away as Alaska, and one attendee was recognized for having five Bodie Island keepers in her lineage. First Assistant: Isaac C. Meekins , Josiah H. Midgett , James D. Second Assistant: William E.
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