Old Baldy, North Carolina's oldest lighthouse! North Carolina's oldest lighthouse, Old Baldy was built in 1817 and has steadfastly warned ships of hazards where the Cape Fear river meets the Atlantic Ocean. First built in in 1795, it became endangered from erosion, was torn down and a new lighthouse built in 1817 using bricks from the old lighthouse. Climb 108 steps to the top for a spectacular 360-degree view of the island while learning about an important part of the island’s seafaring history. 9. Visitors are welcome to climb the 108 steps to the top of Old Baldy which provides visitors with panoramic, views of the island, salt marsh, Cape Fear River, and Atlantic Ocean. A short walk from the island ferry terminal you’ll discover North Carolina’s oldest standing lighthouse, OldBaldy. Every year during the first weekend in August, Pirates invade the island and Old Baldy in celebration of National Lighthouse Day. Guests can also climb the 207 steps leading to the top of the lighthouse from mid-May to mid-September each year. Cap’n Charlie It's also the southernmost lighthouse in North Carolina. This past summer, the Old Baldy Foundation started construction on a long-planned project of installing a new roof on Keeper's Cottage on our campus. With a light that can be seen for 16 miles, it is one of the world’s most powerful. In May 1958, the Oak Island Lighthouse replaced the Cape Fear Light, a steel skeleton structure on Bald Head Island which was demolished that same year. While no longer an active lighthouse, Old Baldy is open for visitors to enjoy and climb to the top for a breathtaking view of the area’s natural beauty. Old Baldy was originally built with brick and then covered in stucco that, after 188 years, is … From there, it’s a short stroll to Old Baldy, where a circular wooden staircase leads 108 steps into the lighthouse’s lantern room and a great view of the Bald Head Island and the entire Smith Island complex. Flickr / Jason. • The 110-foot tower is an octagon with walls five feet thick at the base. Nc Lighthouses Bald Head Island Kure Beach North Carolina Homes Carolina Usa Lighthouse Keeper Oak Island Beacon Of Light Southport. Oak Island. The Cape Fear Light began operation in 1903 and was then a functional replacement for the still standing and now popular tourist attraction, the 1817 Bald Head Light (Old Baldy). (95) The proceeds from the admission into the lighthouse and museum go to historic preservation projects. It was built in 1817 of soft red bricks covered with stucco. It's hard to confuse the Old Baldy Lighthouse with the other Carolina lighthouses that guard the Eastern Seaboard. AARGH!!! Bald Head Island Lighthouse—Old Baldy as its also known—is located where the warmer, calmer waters of the Cape Fear River clash with the colder, roiling currents of the Atlantic Ocean. #mkg #oldbaldy #suplife Visit the Bald Head Island Ferry Information website or call 910-457-5003 for schedules and … Go at your own pace and take your time. from Southport. Old Baldy Lighthouse was built over 200 years ago and is a short 108-step climb to the top. The lighthouse, now affectionately known as Old Baldy, stands 34 metres tall and is today a big tourist attraction on Bald Head Island, near the mouth of the Cape Fear River. This famous landmark has watched over the mouth of the Cape Fear River for over 200 years. Number of bricks: approximately one million. 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. Old Baldy . The original oil shed still stands, but the Keeper's cottage is a replica. Old Baldy Lighthouse, located on Bald Head Island on the riverbank of the Cape Fear River, is the shortest of all North Carolina lighthouses and is considered the oldest standing lighthouse in the US. Travel back in time with a tour of the island's lighthouse and unofficial mascot, Old Baldy. You can actually climb to the top of this relatively small (108 steps to the top) lighthouse, the oldest in North Carolina, built in 1817. and has brick walls that measure up to 5 feet. McAllie Givens, Old Baldy Foundation, portraying Rebecca Long. The Old Baldy Foundation provides Island historic tours, climb Old Baldy Lighthouse, visit the museum. Directions to Old Baldy Lighthouse: From the mainland, come to Southport, NC. From Southport, take 9th street to the Bald Head Island Passenger Ferry. For more information about the ferry call 910-457-5003. Threatened by erosion, it was. Oak Island Lighthouse is one-of-a-kind. The view is remarkable and unforgettable and worth the journey. 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 bird's eye view of the Island. North Carolina's oldest lighthouse is owned and operated by the Old Baldy Foundation, a … The newer Cape Henry Lighthouse (1881), along with the old lighthouse (1792), mark the entrance to the Chesapeake Bay. Posts IGTV Tagged. The information you provide on this form will not be used for anything other then sending the email to your friend. Instead of a spiral staircase, a series of ship ladders with a total of 131 steps lead to the lantern gallery level. The best view of the island is from the top of the lighthouse but you’ll have to climb the 108 steps to get there. For more than 200 years, North Carolina’s oldest standing lighthouse (built in 1817) has marked the mouth of the historic Cape Fear River. The octagonal brick "Old Baldy" was built farther back off the coast, away from the shifting sands. You can be there in 3 to 5 minutes from the port on foot. It has maintained its … In this segment we want to give our supporters an inside look at our efforts to interpret over four centuries of history from the Cape Fear region and the behind the scenes work that accompanies our mission. The key to the lighthouse’s reopening on Labor Day — it is the only one of North Carolina’s seven this summer to allow climbers in — is its 145-year-old wooden windows. Once on the island, Bald Head Lighthouse can be easily reached on foot. Old Baldy was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975. You are reading "9 Most Beautiful North Carolina Lighthouses" Back to Top. oldbaldy.org. Today was one for the May 2-4 books. The ferry is a bit pricey at $23, and the parking is nine dollars at the marina, but the lighthouse is a short walk from the ferry port. It is open for climbing the 131 steps all year by appointment, or select days Memorial Day through Labor Day. Old Baldy is North Carolina’s oldest standing lighthouse. All tours are currently free and minimal parking is right at the base of the lighthouse, with additional parking available in our larger lot 500 feet further down the road to the east (on the right and across from the entrance to the Coast Guard Station). It - watch your Head on those last 10 steps check out the Smith Island museum history! '' lighthouse still stands, but half the fun is getting there 5 8... 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