Cape Lookout in Carteret County, North Carolina — The American South (South Atlantic)

Our Dilemma: Eroding Shore

— Cape Lookout National Seashore —

Photographed by Tom Bosse, September 21, 2021

1. Our Dilemma: Eroding Shore Marker

Inscription. In the 1800s Shackleford Banks, across the water in front of you, and South Core Banks were one island. A 1933 hurricane cut them in two, creating Barden Inlet. The inlet might have closed naturally, but it has proven so useful for navigation that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers keeps it open through dredging. Because Barden Inlet remains open, tidal currents erode this shore and threaten historic structures. During Hurricane Isabel in 2003 high water destroyed the coal shed.

We value both natural processes and historic structures. How would you decide? Should we struggle to save the historic light station or let nature run its course? Is the erosion natural or human caused?

(caption) The large photo shows the shoreline in 1978. The inset photo at left, taken in 2004, shows the shore several hundred feet closer to the Keeper’s Quarters. Why have those sandbags been placed along the shore? Where is the shoreline today?

Erected by National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Environment. A significant historical year for this entry is 1933.

Location. 34° 37.449′ N,

Paid Advertisement

Click or scan to see
this page online

76° 31.412′ W. Marker is in Cape Lookout, North Carolina, in Carteret County. It can be reached from South Core Back Road (unpaved), on the left when traveling north. Marker is located near the Lighthouse Keeper's Quarters at Cape Lookout National Seashore. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Harkers Island NC 28531, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in North Carolina’s Coastal Plain and on the Crystal Coast.

It is also in the American South,

specifically in the Upper South,

in the Tidewater,

and on the Eastern Seaboard. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region,

North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

one of the original Thirteen Colonies,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 5 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Keep the Light Lit (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); More Than a Lighthouse

Photographed by Tom Bosse, September 21, 2021

2. Our Dilemma: Eroding Shore Marker

(about 500 feet away); Where Are We? (about 500 feet away); Two Centuries Warning Ships (about 700 feet away); Fort Hancock (approx. 4.2 miles away); Horizon of Islands (approx. 4.2 miles away); Estuaries of the Sound (approx. 4.2 miles away); Protecting People and Ships (approx. 4.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Cape Lookout.

Another marker is no longer nearby. Cape Lookout Lighthouse (was approx. 4.2 miles away but has been confirmed missing).

Cape Lookout Lighthouse Keeper's Quarters. image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Tom Bosse, September 21, 2021

3. Cape Lookout Lighthouse Keeper's Quarters.

Back of marker can be seen in front of the Keeper's Quarters.

Credits. This page was last revised on December 29, 2022. It was originally submitted on December 28, 2022, by Tom Bosse of Jefferson City, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 174 times since then and 12 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on December 28, 2022, by Tom Bosse of Jefferson City, Tennessee. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.