Cape Lookout Lighthouse, Lighthouse in Carteret County, North Carolina
Cape Lookout Lighthouse is a 49‑meter tower on the southern tip of the Outer Banks in Carteret County, North Carolina. Its exterior brick walls carry a black and white diamond pattern that runs the full height of the tower.
A first tower rose here in 1812 but soon proved too short for the dangerous coast. The current structure was finished in 1859 and survived damage during the Civil War as well as several severe storms.
Its black and white diamond pattern once helped sailors identify this stretch of coast during daytime navigation along treacherous waters. Today the site recalls the keepers who lived in total isolation and kept the lamp burning in every kind of weather.
The tower sits on a narrow spit of land and can only be reached by ferry or private boat. Visitors who climb should be comfortable on steep stairs, as the cast‑iron steps are narrow and the spiral winds tightly upward.
The building plans for this tower were later reused for the Bodie Island Lighthouse, making both structures architectural twins. Their diamond patterns differ in orientation, however, allowing each to be clearly identified from the sea.
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