The Ocracoke Lighthouse on Ocracoke Island, North Carolina

The Ocracoke Island

Light Station is part

of the Cape Hatteras

National Seashore.

The wooden walkway
to the lighthouse









This 75 foot lighthouse was built in 1823.  A Fresnel lens was installed in 1854, intensifying the light beam from the lighthouse.  Because the lighthouse and Lighthouse Keeper's home sits on a high spot on the island, villagers would come here to ride out storms and flooding.

The blockhouse was built to

store fuel for the lighthouse:

Whale Oil, Porpoise Oil,

Kerosene

It now houses the generator that powers the lighthouse's navigational light.

This is the second oldest 
operating  lighthouse
in the U.S.









The lighthouse was electrified in the early decades of the 20th century.  It is owned and operated by the U.S. Coast Guard.  Because the lighthouse is automated, there's no longer
a Lighthouse Keeper to tend it.

The Lighthouse Keeper's house

is now a private home.

Steeped in history, the Ocracoke Lighthouse continues to help mariners navigate the treacherous waters of the Outer Banks.