Rick's Electronic Lighthouse Magazine
Summer 1999
The Moving of Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, N. Carolina
 Tower Being Prepared for Move |
 Keeper's Quarters at New Location |
 New Foundation for Lighthouse |
The move of the Cape Hatteras Lightstation was one of the biggest news items in lighthouse history. The eyes of the world were on the tiny town of Buxton, North Carolina, as the tallest lighthouse in America was moved a safe distance from the ocean. I didn't want to miss out on covering this historical event, so I violated one of my vacation rules and visited an area that I had been to before.
I took the above photos on May 6, 1999, and as you can see the work was well under way. The granite stone foundation had been cut away and steel beams had been inserted under the tower. Both of the Keeper's Quarters had been moved to their new location and their new foundations were being prepared. The new foundation for the tower had been poured and the forms had just been removed.
Later in the summer, the tower was moved 2,900 linear feet to the Southeast. The new location is 1,600 feet from the ocean, the same distance as it was when it was built in 1870.
Historical Views from the Top of Lighthouse - June, 1993
 View North from Tower |
 Lantern Room |
 View South from Tower |
This is the second of two lighthouses at this site. The first tower was built in 1803, and with an original height of about 95 feet, it was never tall enough to reach across the Diamond Shoals that stretch about from Cape Hatteras into the Atlantic. In 1854 this tower was heightened to 140 feet and a first order Fresnel lens installed.
Following the Civil War, cracks were discovered in the tower and erosion was becoming a problem, so funds were appropriated for a new tower. Work began in 1868 under the supervision of Dexter Stetson and was completed in 1870. In 1873, the tower received its distinctive black and white spiral stripes.
This web site is published just for fun as way to combine my hobbies of photography, computers, and lighthouses. Please feel free to download any photos for your personal use and enjoyment; however, commercial use is prohibited without prior permission. Please do not direct link to any photos or graphics on this site. Please send any comments to
Rick Sturgill(rcsturgill@aol.com). Thanks for stopping by!
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