Bodie Island Light
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| Bodie Island Light | |
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 Bodie Island Lighthouse |
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| Location: | 4 miles (6 km) north of Oregon Inlet, Near Nags Head, North Carolina |
| Coordinates WGS-84 (GPS) |
35°49′07″N 75°33′48″W / 35.8185°N 75.5633°WCoordinates: 35°49′07″N 75°33′48″W / 35.8185°N 75.5633°W |
| Year first lit: | 1872 |
| Automated: | 1940 |
| Foundation: | Timber, Granite, Rubble |
| Construction: | Brick, Cast Iron, Stone |
| Tower shape: | Conical |
| Markings/Pattern: | White and black bands with black lantern house |
| Height: | 156 feet (48 m) |
| Original lens: | First order Fresnel lens, 1872 |
| Range: | 18 nautical miles (33 km) |
| Characteristic: | White 2.5 seconds on, 2.5 seconds off, 2.5 seconds on, and 22.5 seconds eclipse with 2 cycles each minute |
| Admiralty number: | J2386 |
| ARLHS number: | USA-067 |
| USCG number: | 2-0590 |
The current Bodie Island Lighthouse is the third that has stood in this vicinity of Bodie Island on the Outer Banks in North Carolina and was built in 1872. It stands 156 feet tall and is located on the Roanoke Sound side of the first island that is part of the Cape Hatteras National Seashore. The lighthouse is just south of Nag's Head, a few miles before Oregon Inlet. It is currently not climbable by the public, but plans are in place to make it safe for climbing.
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[edit] History
The preceding Bodie Island lighthouses actually stood south of Oregon Inlet on Pea Island in an area now under water. The first was built in 1847 and then abandoned in 1859 due to a poor foundation. The second, built in 1859, was destroyed in 1861 by retreating Confederate troops who feared it would be used as a Union observation post during the Civil War. The third and current lighthouse, with its original first order Fresnel lens, was completed in 1872. In 1932, the light was upgraded to an electric lamp by using oil-fueled electrical generators. It remained manned until 1940, when lighthouse was fully automated. In 1953, the generators were disconnected and power was supplied from the commercial electric grid.
While some people (including North Carolinians not from the Outer Banks) pronounce the name with a long "o" sound, it is traditionally pronounced as body. This is derived from the original name of the area, which was "Bodies Island", after the Body family from whom the land was purchased. Folklore would have you believe it is due to the number of dead sailors washed ashore from this portion of the Atlantic Ocean, which is known as the Graveyard of the Atlantic. Local gift shops sell maps of the shipwrecks on the ocean floor. An impressive array of ships have been sunk due to storms, shoals, and German U-boats in World War II.
This lighthouse appears in the background of the 1963-1964 Federal Duck Stamp.[1]
[edit] Timeline
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BODIE ISLAND LIGHT:
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| United States Coast Guard[2] |
[edit] Gallery
 The interior of the lighthouse consists largely of a massive spiral staircase. |
 Bodie Island Lighthouse, view from NC 12, June 2007 |
 Bodie Island Lighthouse, Cape Hatteras National Seashore, July 2007 |
 The Watch Room Deck and Lantern of the Bodie Island Lighthouse |
 Walkway view, 2006 |
[edit] References
- 1963-1964 Federal Duck Stamp by Edward J. Bierly. U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. Retrieved 2008-08-15.
- Historic Light Station Information and Photography - North Carolina. U.S. Coast Guard. Retrieved 2008-08-16.
[edit] Notes
[edit] External links
- The Bodie Island Lighthouse, National Park Service
- USCG site
- LighthouseFriends.com
- Bodie Island Light on Federal Duck Stamp
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