The Outer Banks are known for their rough and dangerous seas, earning them the nickname “Graveyard of the Atlantic,” so it’s not surprising that any Outer Banks tour will include several historic lighthouses built to prevent ships from running aground. Perhaps the most iconic of these structures is the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, known for its size and distinctive black and white striped paint. Every lighthouse in the Outer Banks was given a unique paint job (called a daymark) and light sequence (called a nightmark) so sailors could recognize them day or night. At 198 feet tall, the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse is the tallest brick lighthouse in the US.
The water off Cape Hatteras is one of the most dangerous sections of the Atlantic coast. Just off the coastline, the Gulf Stream bumps up against a smaller current called the Virginia Drift, which forces ships into a 12-mile sandbar called the Diamond Shoal. Since record-keeping began in the mid-16th century, an estimated 5,000 ships have been lost in this area.
The first Cape Hatteras lighthouse was built in 1803, but it was largely ineffective. The first lighthouse was only 90 feet tall, making it too short for sailors to see clearly at night and difficult to see during the day because of its sandstone construction, which blended into the cliffs. The new lighthouse, finished in 1870, corrected both of these problems and proved to be much more effective.
Over the next century, the ground under the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse eroded significantly. In 1999, the Lighthouse Board decided to move the structure to a more secure foundation. Over the course of 23 days, the lighthouse was gradually lifted from its foundation, transferred onto steel mats on rails, and slowly moved 2,900 feet to the southwest.
In order to prevent the building from tipping over, the mats were pulled forward only five feet at a time, and a network of over 60 electronic sensors monitored the weight distribution, tilt, and vibration of the tower. A brand-new weather station was placed on top of the lighthouse to measure the wind speed and direction during the move. Ultimately, the transfer was a complete success. The lighthouse, as well as the surrounding structures, were moved to be about 1,600 feet from the ocean, protecting it from erosion.
To learn more, check out our bundle of Self-Guided Outer Banks Driving Tours, or you can sign up for Action+ to gain access to over 100 tours for a single yearly price.
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