Ocracoke Lighthouse: A History of North Carolina's Oldest Operational Lighthouse
Nearing its 175th birthday, the Ocracoke Lighthouse continues to provide a sense of security and continuity to the 800 or so permanent residents of Ocracoke Village, located on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Ocracoke Lighthouse is the oldest operational lighthouse in North Carolina, constructed in 1823. Only Bald Head Island Lighthouse, located south of Wilmington, North Carolina, at the mouth of the Cape Fear River, is older, built in 1817. But Bald Head is no longer an active aid to navigation.