Oak Island Lighthouse

Year Built

1958

Cost

$110,000

Type

Cylindrical

Height

153 feet

Location

Oak Island, Cape Fear River

Automated Year

1958

First Lit

1958

Lens Type

Original Lens: carbon-arc mercury lamps in 36-inch reflectors

Fog Signal

None

Year Deactivated

Active

Color

Bottom third of tower gray, second third white, top third black

Last Keeper - Date

None

Description

The public is able to climb the lighthouse through tours arranged through Friends of Oak Island Lighthouse.

Brief History

•  In the 1930s, the U.S. Coast Guard took ownership of the land on which Oak Island Lighthouse is located and used a portion of the property for a Coast Guard station.
•  In 2002, a new Coast Guard station was built after the old station was destroyed by a fire.
•  In 2004, both Oak Island Lighthouse and the land immediately surrounding the tower were deeded to the town of Caswell Beach.
•  In 2016, Caswell Beach commissioners voted unanimously to loan $50,000 to Friends of the Oak Island Lighthouse so cracks in the lighthouse could be repaired.
•  In December 2020, the Coast Guard installed a revolving LED beacon atop Oak Island Lighthouse.