saving the history of the cape hatteras lighthouse

It’s not only the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse that has been threatened by the encroaching sea. Historic markers naming all the lighthouse keepers are perilously close to being lost. This article from National Geographic does a great job of giving a historic perspective to the light and and overview of the emotional impact of the markers.

 

Cape Hatteras Lighthouse immediately after it's 1999 move.
Cape Hatteras Lighthouse immediately after it’s 1999 move.

“But over time the sea steadily gnawed away at the cape and crept ever closer to the lighthouse. The distance between the surf and the lighthouse was reduced from about 1,500 feet (457 meters) when it was built in 1870 to 120 feet (37 meters) in 1999. The National Park Service accomplished a spectacular engineering feat in September 1999 when the candy-striped lighthouse was moved about half a mile inland.

After the move, the Outer Banks Lighthouse Society had the 36 foundation stones engraved with the names of the 83 keepers and assistant keepers who worked at the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, including those who manned an earlier lighthouse that was completed in 1803. The engravings on the slabs were intended as a permanent monument to the brave, resourceful men who kept the seas safe.”

 

[box type=”bio”] For full story, click HERE.[/box]