The 8 Oldest Lighthouses in North Carolina

Ranked by the construction year of the structure standing today, for every lighthouse in North Carolina that we could confirm is still standing. Bald Head Lighthouse leads, built 1817; number 8 is Oak Island Light, built 1958. Dates or measurements marked uncertain in the source are left out rather than guessed Each entry was checked against current sources (park services, historic registers, preservation societies), and anything demolished, replaced or uncertain is left out. Each entry links to its own page with coordinates, sources and image licences.

1. 1. Bald Head Lighthouse

   Built 1817 · Brunswick County, North Carolina · National Register

2. 

   2. Ocracoke Light

   Built 1823 · Hyde County, North Carolina · National Register

   Photo: Henryhartley / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)

3. 3. Price Creek Light

   Built 1849 · Brunswick County, North Carolina

4. 

   4. Cape Lookout Lighthouse

   Built 1859 · Carteret County, North Carolina · National Register

   Photo: United States Coast Guard / Wikimedia Commons (public domain)

5. 

   5. Cape Hatteras Lighthouse

   Built 1870 · Dare County, North Carolina · National Register

   Photo: Henryhartley / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)

6. 

   6. Bodie Island Light

   Built 1872 · Dare County, North Carolina

   Photo: RyanGRodgers / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)

7. 

   7. Currituck Beach Lighthouse

   Built 1875 · Currituck County, North Carolina · National Register

   Photo: Carolyn Coleman / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)

8. 

   8. Oak Island Light

   Built 1958 · Brunswick County, North Carolina · National Register

   Photo: Matt Trostle / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)

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