Cape Lookout Lighthouse

Cape Lookout Lighthouse. . , Cape Lookout's diagonal checker patterned lighthouse was completed in 1859 with the best technology available. The double-walled brick construction was designed to support the 163-foot structure. The state-of-the-art Fresnel lens amplified the light so it could be seen almost 30 miles away. Lighthouse Keepers who lived on the cape first lit the lamp with whale oil and then kerosene, until electricity finally arrived. Standing here at night, you may see the glow of the Cape Lookout Lighthouse., Visiting the Light Station , Visit the Cape Lookout Lighthouse tower and the exhibits in the historic Keepers’ Quarters by taking a ferry from the nearby dock or from the NPS Harkers Island Ferry Gateway or by private boat. For ferry tickets and information about days when visitors can climb the lighthouse, go to the visitor Information Center across the street., (captions) , The Cape Lookout Lighthouse is a 45 minute ferry ride from here., The Cape Lookout Lighthouse warns ships about the dangerous Cape Lookout Shoals, sandbars that jut out over 10 miles into the ocean., Cape Lookout 1859 . Cape Hatteras 1870 . Bodie Island 1872 , The lighthouse's diagonal checker pattern was added in 1873 a a unique daymark. Using day marks, mariners can distinguish lighthouses during the day, just as they use light flash patterns to distinguish lighthouses at night. Pictured are three North Carolina lighthouses with their daymarks.