Name and Location

The Cape Hatteras Light Station is a historic lighthouse located on the Outer Banks of North Carolina, USA, within the Cape Hatteras National Seashore.

Construction and History

Built in 1870, the Cape Hatteras Light Station was constructed to address concerns about shipwrecks and maritime accidents along the treacherous coast. Designed by George S. Davis, the lighthouse stands at an impressive 193 feet (59 meters) tall, with a red brick base and granite corners.

Architecture and Materials

The original construction materials were masonry, featuring a distinctive diagonal color pattern with black and white stripes.

Light and Navigation

The Cape Hatteras Light Station is equipped with a first-order Fresnel lens, emitting a white light that can be seen from distances up to 24 nautical miles. The light's character is classified as Fl (fixed white light), with a sequence of 0.8 seconds on and 6.7 seconds off.

Accessibility and Visiting

The Cape Hatteras Light Station is open to the public for guided tours, which offer visitors an opportunity to climb the tower and experience its unique maritime history. However, please note that the structure is not wheelchair accessible due to its historic nature and preservation requirements.

Notable Views and Landscape

As a prominent landmark on the Outer Banks, the Cape Hatteras Light Station offers breathtaking views of the surrounding coastline and ocean.

Anecdotes and Folklore

Technical and Operational Details

1. * Type: Feature * Properties: + @id: way/295324032 + building: yes + height: 64 + heritage: 2 + heritage: operator: nrhp + heritage: website: https://www.nps.gov/subjects/nationalregister/index.htm + historic: maritime + man_made: lighthouse + name: Cape Hatteras Light Station + nrhp: criteria: (A), (C) + nrhp: inscription_date: 1978-03-29 + nrhp: nhl: yes + operator: National Park Service + protection_title: Cape Hatteras National Seashore + ref: nrhp: 78000266 + seamark: conspicuity: conspicuous + seamark: construction: masonry + seamark: information: Red brick base with granite corners + seamark: landmark: category: tower + seamark: landmark: colour: black; white + seamark: landmark: colour_pattern: diagonal + seamark: landmark: height: 60.9 + seamark: light: character: Fl + seamark: light: colour: white + seamark: light: exhibition: night + seamark: light: group: 1 + seamark: light: height: 58.5 + seamark: light: period: 7.5 + seamark: light: range: 24 + seamark: light: sequence: 00.8+(06.7) + seamark: name: Cape Hatteras Light + seamark: status: permanent + seamark: type: landmark + source_ref: https://catalog.archives.gov/id/47719909 + start_date: 1870 + tourism: attraction + website: https://www.nps.gov/caha/planyourvisit/chls.htm + wheelchair: no

Further Information

For more information, visit the National Park Service's website at https://www.nps.gov/caha/index.htm or contact the Cape Hatteras Light Station directly.