- Name: Oak Island
Lighthouse
County: Brunswick
Built: 1958
Operational: Yes
Body of Water: Atlantic Ocean, Cape Fear River
Color: Black - White - Gray
Design: Cylindrical Bands
Height: 169 feet
Signal Visible: 19 miles
Click on the pictures to see a
larger view.
(Photo
courtesy of NC Division of Travel and Tourism.)
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Oak Island Lighthouse flashes the
newest and most powerful beam of all American lighthouses. This
powerful beacon is surpassed in brilliancy only by a French light on
the English Channel. Because such intense blinding heat is generated
by this light, repairmen must wear protective clothing. Even with
protective clothing, they can work only a short time. The name comes
from Oak Island which is an outer strip of North Carolina's lower
southeastern coast. In 1958, Oak Island Lighthouse replaced Cape Fear
Lighthouse, which was located across the Cape Fear River on Bald Head
Island. Because of the need for a rock foundation solid enough to
support the tower, the lighthouse builder had to go 125 feet
underground. In winds up to 60 mph, this tower may sway as much as
three feet.
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