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Oak Island North Carolina
Harbour Lights #445
Illuminating the entrance to the Cape Fear River, Oak Island Lighthouse is
the most brilliant beacon in the United States.
Officials realized that a lighthouse on Oak Island was crucial in safely
guiding mariners to the Cape Fear River entrance. Completed in 1958, Oak
Island Lighthouse was the first sentinel built in the area in 54 years.
Using the Swedish-developed 'moving slip' form, workers erected a solid
169-foot tower of eight-inch reinforced concrete. Builders poured concrete
into the form and once it dried, moved the form up to complete another
section.
The walls are merely eight inches thick from bottom to top, unlike older
brick lighthouses that were several bricks deep at the base and tapered to
the top. The gray color bands are integrated into the concrete, so the
tower never needs painting.
A
helicopter lifted the heavy lighting equipment to the top of the tower and
on May 15, 1958, the white beacon flashed for the first time. At 2,500,000
candlepower, Oak Island Lighthouse is second in brilliance only to a
French light on the English Channel. The scorching heat generated by the
Oak Island beacon is so intense that repairmen must wear protective
clothing and work for short periods of time in the lantern room. The
Charleston Lighthouse in South Carolina once exceeded the brightness of
Oak Island, however, its beacon was dangerously intense, so it’s power was
greatly reduced.
In 2002, the noble Keeper’s Quarters, resembling a Lifesaving Station of
days past, burned to the ground in a massive inferno. The United States
Coast Guard used the dwelling as a base of operations, housing personnel
and historic records. The station was a total loss and the old station
logs were destroyed, but fortunately no one was injured.
With plans
for rebuilding the Keeper’s Quarters in the works, the Oak Island
Lighthouse remains an active aid to navigation and will continue to
illuminate the waters of the Outer Banks for generations to come.
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HL# |
Name |
MSRP |
Introduced |
Retired |
Edition |
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445 |
Oak Island NC |
$50 |
Jan 03 |
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Open |
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