Buxton in Dare County, North Carolina — The American South (South Atlantic)

A Shifting Shoreline, An Imperiled Lighthouse

Cape Hatteras National Seashor

Photographed by Steve Stoessel, May 13, 2026

1. A Shifting Shoreline, An Imperiled Lighthouse Marker

Inscription. Look toward the ocean and you will see where the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse used to be - now marked by a single wooden post. When it was built in 1870, the lighthouse was 1,500 feet from the ocean. Over the years, wind and water moved sands and slowly eroded the Hatteras Island shoreline. By 1970, the ocean was 120 feet away.

Cape Hatteras National Seashore wanted to protect the lighthouse long-term. After years of. engineering studies and outside review, the park relocated the structure inland. But the plan stirred controversy, Many people feared destruction of the iconic lighthouse. With the world watching, the high-stakes move began in June 1999.

You are standing on the lighthouse move path. Workers cleared and graded a path over a half-mile long and 100 feet wide. As you walk the path, look out for medallions marking the move's progress.

[ Photo Caption: ] For decades, people worked to protect the lighthouse, but could not stop the encroaching ocean. In the 1990s, the park began planning for the lighthouse's relocation.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Waterways & Vessels. A significant historical month for this entry is June 1999.

Location. 35° 15.197′ N,

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75° 31.417′ W. Marker is in Buxton, North Carolina, in Dare County. It can be reached from Lighthouse Road. Marker is on the bicycle trail. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Buxton NC 27920, United States of America. Touch for directions.

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

It is also in the American South,

specifically in the Upper South,

and in the Tidewater.

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 walking distance of this marker: Lighthouse Move Path (within shouting distance of this marker); a different marker also named Lighthouse Move Path (within shouting distance of this marker); a different marker also named Lighthouse Move Path (about 500 feet away, measured in a direct line); Inching Inland

Photographed by Steve Stoessel, May 13, 2026

2. A Shifting Shoreline, An Imperiled Lighthouse Marker

(approx. 0.2 miles away); a different marker also named Lighthouse Move Path (approx. ¼ mile away); Light House Move Path (approx. ¼ mile away); Keepers of the Light (approx. ¼ mile away); Life at the Light (approx. 0.3 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Buxton.

Also see . . . Cape Hatteras Lighthouse (Wikipedia). (Submitted on May 23, 2026, by Steve Stoessel of Niskayuna, New York.)

Credits. This page was last revised on May 23, 2026. It was originally submitted on May 23, 2026, by Steve Stoessel of Niskayuna, New York. This page has been viewed 17 times since then. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on May 23, 2026, by Steve Stoessel of Niskayuna, New York.