Coastal Review Online is featuring the research, findings and commentary of author Kevin Duffus
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First of three parts
It was not Shakespeare but Pythagoras who likely first imagined the world as a stage “whereon many play their parts.”
No more often am I reminded of this proverb than when I am traveling across the inlet between Hatteras and Ocracoke islands one of many grand stages of North Carolina’s maritime history.
The North Carolina Department of Transportation ferry Croatoan gets underway from Hatteras Island to Ocracoke. Photo: Mark Hibbs
The ferry I am on meanders its way along the narrow, serpentine channels, across boiling pools of wavelets and at times rolling on the incoming swells of the Atlantic as salt spray breaks over the bow. Before long, I spot the tell-tale behavior of excited tourists making the passage for their first time. They gingerly stagger about the pitching deck, taking selfies, feeding seagulls, or waving at passing fishing boats.
The Cape Hatteras Lighthouse was first lit on Dec. 16, 1870.
Show Transcript
Welcome to the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse at Cape Hatteras National Seashore in Dare County, North Carolina. Today we celebrate the sesquicentennial, the 150th anniversary of the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, this lighthouse, maybe the most iconic lighthouse in the world. It has been said that if you close your eyes and start thinking about a lighthouse, it s quite likely that a stunning image of the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse will appear in your mind. This lighthouse, famous among photographers and visitors for its beauty, also symbolizes three important American values. Dedication, community and ingenuity. Standing just under 200 ft tall is a symbol of our nation s dedication to protect Mariners from becoming part of the graveyard of the Atlantic. It s been called that due to the large number of ships that have been lost to the Diamond Shoals just off the coast, Ah, large and treacherous area of shallow water a
Cape Hatteras Lighthouse celebrates 150 years, virtual program planned
and last updated 2020-12-16 11:23:41-05
BUXTON, N.C. - The tallest brick lighthouse in North America celebrates 150 years lighting the way for ships at sea on Wednesday.
The Cape Hatteras Lighthouse was lit for the first time on December 16, 1870.
To mark the occasion, the Cape Hatteras National Seashore is holding a virtual celebration starting at 4:45 p.m.; livestreaming the lighting of lighthouse on its Facebook page followed by a commemoration video. A pretty monumental moment to think of probably what s become one of the most iconic lighthouses in the nation, if not the world, said Scott Babinowich, Chief of Interpretation and Education for the Outer Banks group of the National Park Service. It still is an active aid to navigation.