NC - Roanoke Marshes Light

Wednesday, September 21, 2016

Day two of exploring the Outer Banks of North Carolina and yet another day of experiencing Tropical Storm Julia. Again, as we are having breakfast at the hotel, we are disappointed that the storm is lingering over the northern reaches of the OBX. So we decide to explore Roanoke Island in the morning, have lunch there, then travel down to Hatteras Island Light in the afternoon. With the choppy waters of the channel, we refrain from taking the 45-minute ferry over to Ocracoke Island to see the light and visitor center. We will save that for another trip.

We started the morning on Roanoke Island by visiting the Roanoke Marshes Light. Being early in the morning, the lighthouse, nor the Stamp site for it was open yet, we decide to get the other sites in as they are mainly indoors and will return to the light before lunch as it is still raining and windy from the sound. The remnants of TS Julia upon us, we don't linger and proceeded up the road to the US Fish and Wildlife Services Visitor Center. Returning to the historic area of Downtown Manteo, we stop briefly at a thrift shop for the local women's hotline, where I purchased some items, specifically a beach-themed photo albums that I would later put photos and mementos from this vacation in. After making those purchases, we make our way to the Maritime Museum, operated by the Town of Manteo, of which the towns public comfort facility is located adjacent to this and we visit to only be entertained by a foul odor, anyway we digress.

As we enter the museum,  we find no one in the exhibit room. Being a working museum, there is an adjacent room where there is a gentleman working on a vessel he asks if we need assistance, we state that we are here for the passport by the USLHS and he stamps the passport and we visit the Lighthouse, followed by visiting some shops on Roanoke Island followed by Lunch at a Burger Joint that we had two days for Lunch in a row.

Lighthouse Synopsis

Standing at the end of a short pier in the town of Manteo, this replica is an exterior reproduction of the former 1877 Roanoke Marshes Lighthouse that once stood guard at the southern entrance to Croatan Sound from Pamlico Sound near Wanchese. Croatan Sound linked Albemarle and Pamlico Sounds, once a heavily traveled course for goods being shipped to major North Carolina ports by water. Like other bodies of water affected by winds and tides, shoaling occurred regularly in these shallow bodies of water, which caused hazards for all who travelled there. These smaller but significant lights helped warn captains to beware lurking dangers in shoals that could strand a boat, especially during and after a storm.

 There were three lighthouses named Roanoke Marshes. The first was built in 1831, the second in 1858, and the third one that was built in 1877 became the model on which the Town of Manteo based its exterior reproduction. This last Roanoke Marshes Light was one of a dozen “screwpile” lights in North Carolina with specially designed pilings screwed deep into the soft mud of the sounds for stability. 

In 1939, all American lighthouses were taken over by the U.S. Coast Guard after the government dismantled the U.S. Lighthouse Service. The 1877 light served under the supervision and maintenance of the coast guard until 1955 when it was decommissioned. Afterward, the lighthouse was sold to an individual who tried to relocate it by floating the structure on a barge. Unfortunately, the lighthouse fell overboard in rough waters; it was destroyed beyond repair and lost to history.

The one and one-half-story, cottage-style lighthouse is representative of most small lighthouses that dotted North Carolina’s rivers and sounds. It took the Town of Manteo several years of dogged work to get the permits, money, and organization to build its replica. It crowns the historic waterfront and is a pleasant surprise to visitors who explore the otherwise Elizabethan town. Once again, the area’s maritime legacy shines.

The Roanoke Marshes Light was officially dedicated in a special ceremony on September 25, 2004. A fourth-order Fresnel lens, on loan from the coast guard, shines each night across the waterfront. 

Lighthouse Information

Owned and operated by the town of Manteo, the lighthouse is located across the street from the town-owned Roanoke Island Maritime Museum, which sponsors historical and educational activities. The lighthouse is open free of charge daily from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. year-round.

Directions

From US 158 South in Nags Head, take US 64 West to the historic Town of Manteo. Follow signs to the waterfront where the lighthouse is located on the eastern end of town. Parking is limited in that immediate area; however, parking anywhere in town will be only a short walk to the lighthouse. This exterior reconstruction is a reminder of the past, bringing a likeness of the 1877 lighthouse to life.

Passport Information

Stamp located at the
Roanoke Island Maritime Museum104 Fernando St
PO Box 246
Manteo, NC 27954.
SASE & Donation okay. 
(252) 475-1750.
Website: roanokeisland.com/MarshesLighthouse.aspx   Email: sailing@townofmanteo.com