Lighthouse Visit

The restoration work on the Ocracoke Lighthouse is coming to completion. Sunday afternoon I had an opportunity to accompany Dale to the lighthouse grounds, and to speak with Alex and J.R., two of the men who have been doing much of the work. In the course of the conversation Alex invited us to climb the tower. Here are a few photos (this is a work still in progress, so cables, ropes, tools, and protective pads are visible in some of the pictures). Click on any photo to see a larger image.

This is me, almost to the top of the spiral staircase:



A metal ladder leads from the spiral stairs into the lantern room:



The 150 year old Fourth Order Fresnel Lens:



The three foot high door to the balcony:



A view of the lantern from the floor of the balcony:



Look for photos of the village taken from the balcony on tomorrow's blog.

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is the story of early twentieth century itinerant salesmen, entertainers, and preachers who found their way to the island. You can read it here.