This month we'll take a look at some of the enduring symbols of the area- its lighthouses. 

The Ocracoke Lighthouse was built in 1823 to replace an 1803 lighthouse on Shell Castle Island which was located in Ocracoke Inlet.   The 76 foot tower is the second oldest operating lighthouse in the United States.  An interesting tidbit found in the records of the United States Lighthouse Board is the recipe for the paint that was used to whitewash the lighthouse.  Unslaked lime, salt, powdered Spanish whiting, ground rice and glue were mixed and cooked to form a liquid that was applied hot to the sides of the lighthouse. 

During the Civil War, Confederate forces destroyed the lens of the Ocracoke lighthouse, but it was repaired in 1864 and has been in operation ever since. The lamp was originally powered with whale oil, but is now beams with an automated 4th order Fresnel lens.  The lighthouse itself is not open, but the grounds are open daily from sunrise to sunset.