Cape Lookout Lighthouse, Carteret County, NC
Posted by: 
hykesj
N 34° 37.409 W 076° 31.488
18S E 360219 N 3832347
This lighthouse, located at the southern tip of North Carolina’s Outer Banks, is pictured on a 2003 postage stamp.
Waymark Code: WM12DH5
Location: North Carolina, United States
Date Posted: 05/05/2020
Views: 3
The first light tower on Cape Lookout was completed in 1812. It stood 96 ft. tall and was powered by thirteen oil lamps. Almost immediately, mariners complained that the light was neither tall enough nor bright enough to be of any use. A common complaint was that ships stood a greater chance of running aground while looking for the light rather than just trying to navigate the shoals without it.
The current tower (the one pictured on the stamp) was completed in 1859, just a year and a half prior to the outbreak of the Civil War. It stood 163 ft. tall and could be seen fifteen miles out to sea. It became a model for three other tall light towers that would be built along the Outer Banks including the one at Cape Hatteras.
In 1873, the four tall light towers along the Outer Banks were each given a distinctive paint pattern to help differentiate them during daylight. The Cape Lookout tower was painted with a black and white diagonal checkerboard pattern. As an additional aid to navigation, the black diamonds point north and south and the white diamonds point east and west.
The Cape Lookout light station was not completely automated until a submerged electrical cable was run from the mainland in 1983. As of 2003 (the same year the stamp was issued) the lighthouse has been managed by the National Park Service who allow visitors to climb the tower. Visiting the lighthouse is still a bit of a chore since it’s only accessible by boat.
Stamp Issuing Country: United States
Date of Issue: 13-Jun-2003
Denomination: 37c
Color: multicolored
Stamp Type: Single Stamp
Relevant Web Site: Not listed
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