Completed in 1958 using unique poured concrete construction, the 148-foot tower was once the second brightest lighthouse in the world. The last in a series of towers built at the mouth of the Cape Fear River to help guide ships through the often turbulent waters of Cape Fear, the lighthouse is still active and the beacon is maintained by the U.S. Coast Guard.
The Oak Island Lighthouse itself, however, is now owned by the Town of Caswell Beach, North Carolina. The grounds are open to the public daily and feature nice views of the lighthouse tower as well as a boardwalk leading to the beach and observation platform. The Friends of the Oak Island Lighthouse will resume their Wednesday and Saturday tours on May 26th. The tours continue through the summer, but do not operate during the winter months. One note, the tours go only to the second level of the lighthouse, not all the way to the top.
The lighthouse grounds provide views of some of the most historic waters in America. The notorious pirates Blackbeard and Stede Bonnett once prowled the lower Cape Fear and the river was the last major port for Confederate blockade runners.
To learn more about the historic Oak Island Lighthouse, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/oakislandlighthouse.
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