The story revolves around his earlier life as a simple irish immigrant, sent off to europe in wwii, the tragedies of his young life, and how he came to be the lighthouse keeper. At the same spot as old baldy sits the smith island museum, designed to replicate an 1850s lighthouse keepers cottage. Learn about the islands maritime past and browse the small gift shop for books on pirates, history and island knickknacks. Coast guard flyover, music by the bald head choir and the howard brothers and a. The top of the lighthouse is fourteen feet and six inches wide and two feet and six inches thick. The focus of bald head island is its lighthouse, nicknamed old baldy. It is the second of three lighthouses that have been built on bald head island since the 19th century to help guide ships past the dangerous shoals at the mouth of the cape fear river. The event will memorialize the historic lighthouse and the dedicated keepers who watched over it. From its strategic point on the southern coast of bald head island, old baldy has seen has seen nearly two centuries of commerce, war, and peace.
Please meet your tour guide at the old baldy lighthouse keepers cottage at 10. It was never intended as a light for frying pan shoals. What to do and see during a vacation to bald head island. I want to go back and stay a few days when the turtles are hatching. The lighthouse keepers rescue mr grinling loves a jolly good snooze, but he keeps on waking up too late to switch on the lighthouse light. The new octagonal tower, old baldy, as it is affectionately known, was first illuminated in 1817. The tour will begin and conclude at the old baldy lighthouse keepers cottage.
North carolinas oldest lighthouse is owned and operated by the old baldy foundation, a 501c3 not for profit organization. A jones fog bell was placed near bald head lighthouse in 1855. Today, thousands of visitors make the exciting journey each year to beautiful bald head island to learn about the islands rich maritime past at the smith island museum of history. Aug 15, 2016 enlargeour holdings of logbooks of us lighthouses are located at the national archives building in washington, dc, and begin in 1872, the year the federal government started requiring lighthouse keepers to keep such a record. Historic lighthouses of north carolina hachette book group. Old baldy, built in 1817, is north carolina s oldest existing tower and may be the most haunted as well. At keepers cottage you can learn the history of the lighthouse including its keepers, pirates and more. Old baldy lighthouse and smith island museum of history on. Congress approved an act on may 7, 1822 to build a replacement lighthouse at or near the port of ocracoke, in the state of north carolina. Coast guard station oak island, on the southern coast of north carolina. Sunrise atop old baldy lighthouse on sunday, april 12th, 2020. The lighthouse keeper is the first book by james pratt that i read.
Old baldy foundation has plenty of different types of volunteer opportunities. The lighthouse keepers series collection 8 books set ronda armitage, david armitage on. Its an easy fifteenminute bike ride away from the historic captains cabins. The forgotten lighthouse of bald head island news the. Apr 11, 2017 the old baldy foundation celebrates the 200th birthday of the lighthouse on saturday with a flag dedication, a u.
Old baldy was built in 1817 of soft red bricks covered with stucco. In the early days the lighthouse keeper would white wash old baldy every two years. Old baldy lighthouse was still standing on the island. Though she insists the lighthouse was locked up tight, making it impossible for any human figure to be inside of it, both she and her husband spotted the figure from totally different vantage points. The proceeds from the admission into the lighthouse and museum go to historic preservation projects. Today, thousands of visitors make the exciting journey each year to beautiful bald head island to learn about the islands rich maritime past at the smith island museum of history and experience old baldy up close including the climb to the top for a breathtaking. Old baldy lighthouse ceased to be used due to the construction of a lighthouse at the mouth of the cape fear river. Lighthouse logbooks are found in the several series listed below. None of the mariners from the past would have ever seen the lightkeeper, but i grew up knowing they saw his flame. Stedman, lighthousekeeping by jeanette winterson, the. When old baldy was deactivated in 1935 the lighthouse was abandoned. A story about an old lighthouse keeper who wishes to pass along his legacy to an only daughter, shortly before his death. Frequent occurrences are images of orbs appearing on visitors souvenir pictures while visiting the light. Jim is a moral compass in a world that knows only shades of gray.
When it was discontinued large pieces of the stucco began to fall off the lighthouse. The lighthouse keepers daughter book by arielle north olson. The old baldy lighthouse is one of the most distinctive beacons in north carolina for a variety of reasons. When we say we couldnt do it without you, we mean it. Before its destruction, the demolition company removed the lens and sold them to an antique dealer in wilmington, nc. Today, thousands of visitors make the exciting journey each year to beautiful bald head island to learn about the islands rich maritime past at the smith island museum of history and experience old baldy. The keeper is an old revolutionary soldier, he reported and is unable from sickness to give the lighthouse his constant personal attention. Learn about the maritime heritage of the state, tour our museum and the keeper s cottage, and climb. It is as if the old lighthouse keeper is haunting the halls, striking a match to the 1500wattcandlepower oil lantern that used to cast a beam across the bay to guide so many seafarers safely to shore. After decommission, it was restored with the aid of the old baldy foundation. As you pull into the harbor on bald head island, youre treated to a sight thats remained unchanged for more than. See more ideas about lighthouse, house and lighthouse keeper. No vehicles on the island, only golf carts summer it think nicknamed the bug light. At that point, i believed i knew exactly where it came from.
Bald head lighthouse united states coast guard all. Bald head island lighthouse 2020 all you need to know. Old baldy was built of soft red bricks covered with stucco. Affectionately known as old baldy the lighthouse has maintained its original form and location for over 187 years. Hello lighthouse by sophie blackall, the light between oceans by m. A tour of 17 iconic east coast lighthouses coastal living. The old baldy lighthouse has risen over the treetops since it was completed and first lit in 1817, a stoic reminder of the islands role in maritime navigation since well before the civil war. These are managed by the old baldy foundation in order to preserve the history of smith island, old baldy lighthouse, and the maritime history of the carolina coast. In this reprint of a popular childrens book, a young girl named miranda learns about life on a remote island in maine. Old baldy stood sentinel through two world wars, the civil war, the industrial revolution and the.
Discover north carolinas rich maritime history at old baldy lighthouse and smith island museum. According to records, a former keepers daughter died at the lighthouse at a young age. For nearly 200 years, north carolinas oldest standing lighthouse, old baldy, has marked the mouth of the historic cape fear river. Join the village chapel of bald head islands easter services by visiting their facebook page. At its base, old baldy is thirtysix feet wide, and its walls are five feet thick. Oct 20, 2019 you know old baldy, but what about the lighthouse that preceded it in 1795. A 108step climb and guided tour brings you to the top of this whitewashed tower, but half the fun is getting there. The us light house service became part of the us coast guard in 1939, and as a result its records are.
Take the ferry over to the oldest standing lighthouse in north carolina. Old baldy lighthouse and smith island museum of history, 101. There, the couple spied a lighthouse keeper wearing an old fashioned hat and uniform at the very top of the talacre lighthouse. A replacement lighthouse the current old baldy lighthouse was completed. Buy a cheap copy of the lighthouse keeper s daughter book by arielle north olson. Bald head lighthouse, known as old baldy, is the oldest lighthouse still standing in north carolina. The stairs between levels are a bit steep, and the place desperately needs air old baldy light, nc. Smith museum is housed in replica of 1850s lighthouse keepers cottage.
Once you arrive on bald head island, take a brief walk to old baldy lighthouse. Commissioned by thomas jefferson and built in 1817, old baldy lighthouse is north carolinas oldest lighthouse. Built in 1817, old baldy is the oldest standing lighthouse in north carolina. The lighthouse keepers series collection 8 books set. Logbooks of the us lighthouses, 18721940 national archives. As the oldest standing lighthouse in the state, with the patchworked repairs and rugged exterior to prove it, the structure is an icon in the area, and is quintessentially linked with bald head island. For unsurpassed, panoramic views of bald head island, the climb up 106 steps to the top of old baldy is an adventure offering visitors a birds eye view of the island. The tower itself was supposed to be a specific height with walls a certain width, 5 feet thick at the base, for instance. Jul 26, 2016 our last stop is bald head island lighthouse. This is the present lighthouse on bald head island. Historic site the old baldy foundation united states. The most important purpose of old baldy was to mark the cape fear river entrance for the maritime sailors.
The final project of my mals experience will be the creation of a book for 4. No one does a better job portraying how a man thinks and loves than james does. Inside old baldy lighthouse, bald head island, north carolina the inside of old baldy lighthouse would make an unusual multilevel apartment. A lighthouse lovers hop bald head island limited, llc. Standing sentinel over the island, and through the efforts of the old baldy foundation, old baldy lighthouse is open daily to visitors. The old baldy foundation is a nonprofit organization established for the preservation of old baldy lighthouse on bald head island, nc and for the promotion of and education about the manmade histories of smith island. Old baldy lighthouse and smith island museum of history.
The cottage is based on original plans from the authentic keepers house that burned down in the 1880s, and also features an onsite souvenir shop with old baldy, beach and pirate themed mementos, gifts, books, maps, postcards, clothing, and decorative items. Aug 07, 2015 although the original lighthouse charlie tended was dismantled in 1958, a nearby beacon is open to visitors as a reminder of the islands navigational legacy. The bald head island lighthouse is the oldest in north carolina, and it stands ninety feet high. But in 1958, the cape fear lighthouse was demolished and the oak island light, took its place. May 10, 20 susan grantier, program coordinator for the old baldy foundation, said no records or blueprints explain why the top of the bald head island lighthouse is offset, but she offered a few guesses.