Roanoke River Light, Integral lighthouse in Edenton, United States
The Roanoke River Light is a historic lighthouse on the waterfront of Edenton, North Carolina, made up of a white square wooden tower about 36 feet (11 m) tall connected to a two-story keeper's house. It sits right at the water's edge, near where the river flows into Albemarle Sound.
The structure was built in 1887 to guide vessels through Albemarle Sound, fitted with a Fresnel lens that cast light across the water. It operated for over fifty years before being decommissioned and eventually moved to its current spot on the Edenton waterfront.
The keeper's house attached to the tower is one of the few places where you can see how lighthouse keepers actually lived and worked side by side. The closeness of the living and working spaces shows how tied daily life on the water was to duty.
The lighthouse sits directly on Edenton's waterfront boardwalk and is easy to reach on foot from the town center. Since the viewing area is outdoors along the water, a visit is most comfortable in dry weather.
The building was moved not once but twice, with the last move carried out using a surplus military landing craft. That unusual choice was necessary because the entire wooden structure had to be transported intact across the water.
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