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Published: February 10th 2022
Bodie Island Light Station
Built in 1872. National Register of Historic Places 03000607.
DSC_1171Tuesday morning we planned to explore the Outer Banks to the south of Nags Head as far as Cape Hatteras. Our first stop was Bodie Island and Bodie Island Light Station. The lighthouse is not far from Nags Head. Bodie Island Light Station was completed in 1872. The existing tower is the third lighthouse on the site. (The first was 1847.) The brick tower rises 165 feet (50 m) and is in operation as an aid to navigation along the coast from Cape Hatteras (south) to Currituck Beach (north), North Carolina. It retains its original Fresnel lens. The tower is open to climb the 214 inside steps to the top, but we looked at the interpretive exhibits.
At the entrance to the lighthouse access road, I had spotted structures that looked like a Life-Saving Station. These buildings turned out to be the remains of Bodie Island Life-Saving Station. Bodie Island Life-saving Station had been established in 1879 as Station 15, Sixth District. The Bodie Island Station closed in 1937 and was transferred to the Department of the Interior in 1953. The buildings were extensively renovated and moved to this second location ca. 2013. The Station House of 1878 and Boat
House of 1903 are in use as Bodie Island Ranger Station, Cape Hatteras National Seashore. I pulled into the ranger station parking lot, as there is no street parking on the access road. No sooner did I get out of the car to take a picture than a ranger came out. When asked what I was doing, I explained that the structure ha been life-saving station and was listed on the National Register. She let me take the picture but really wanted me out of there. (The former staton does not appear to be well known as the rangers at Bodie Island Lighthouse knew nothing about its history when asked.)
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