Bald Head Island Lighthouse

Postcard circa 1920 of the lighthouse

Bald Head Lighthouse, located at 101 Light House Wynd, Bald Head Island, NC 2846, was built in 1817 using Federal, or Adam, style building techniques. Named after its creators, the Adam Brothers, this style became popular between the years 1780-1820. According to the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, the Federal style followed in the elegant footsteps of its predecessor, the Georgian style. Known for its dramatic windows and elaborate doors, “federal details are more delicate, slender and finely drawn than their Georgian counterparts and may feature swags, garlands and urns.¹ ” In regards to the lighthouse design, these are reflected in the uniform octagonal outer walls and unique window placing.

Over 200 years after its construction, the lighthouse is currently showing its age. The outer brick and plaster color has been eroded and replaced, leaving a sort of camouflage effect in its wake. Still the structure stands tall in place of its predecessor, acting as a witness to years of North Carolina’s rich history.

brick from the base of the lighthouse

Coined as North Carolina’s first lighthouse, this structure was built as a replacement for the first Bald Head Island Light, which was demolished in 1813 by the U.S. Lighthouse Service due to severe erosion. The new lighthouse, which still stands to this day containing fragments of the original structure, was constructed by Daniel S. Way, a builder from Connecticut. Not much is known about Way, however, the land he built on was gifted by Benjamin Smith and wife, Sarah Rhett Dry. Smith was born to a wealthy planter, rising to hold many governmental positions, including governor of North Carolina from 1810 to 1811. Holding an interest in seeing what was then known as Fort Johnston at Smithville grow in prosperity, Smith donated a sizable piece of land to the national government in 1794 to build a lighthouse. Unfortunately, this lighthouse would be demolished a few years later, as previously stated, and replaced. After his last term as Senator, Smith would soon come upon hard times, resulting in his family falling into near poverty at his death in January of 1826.

The lighthouse resumed duties shortly after its reconstruction, sitting at the mouth of the Cape Fear River to serve as a warning of the shoals known to result in countless shipwrecks. With Wilmington serving as one of the largest ports in the southern United States, it was essential to protect shipments. The light provided by the structure could be used to guide ships through the river, ensuring the cargo made its way to the port safely.

The lighthouse was originally powered by 15 separate “hollow wick lamps, fueled by whale oil, and arranged on a metal rack.² ” This process required countless attention and maintenance, thus a keeper was essential to ensuring the running of the light. These workers would have lived on site with their families full time, overseeing upkeep and protecting sailors from the treacherous waters. Baldy’s fist keeper, Henry Long, picked up the role in 1794. As stated by the Coastal Review, “Long was expected to fulfill his nightly duty of keeping his lighthouse operating 365 days a year regardless of the weather, which was frequently frightful.³ ” The town of Bald Head Island’s website places the lightkeeper’s original cottage, where Long would have resided, on the west side of the structure, however, it would soon be replaced on the east side to avoid further damage. Unfortunately, this cottage style home would be destroyed and rebuilt a few times before finally taken by a fire in 1931. Years later, a replica of the final two story cottage would be built in the same spot for the intention of creating an onsight museum. Making home in the original structure, Long and his family became the only year-round residents on the island. Unfortunately, Long never came to witness the new lighthouse, as he was killed in a hunting accident in 1806. His wife took up the duties for three months after his death, until she was ultimately replaced by Sedgwick Springs by Thomas Jefferson’s appointment.

Sedgwick Springs was a veteran of the American Revolution, being well into his 60s when he took up position as lightkeeper. Springs would come to tend the lighthouse for 20 years until his retirement, seeing through the construction of the structure that stands to this day. After Springs, the position became vacant, as war began to brew within the United States.

The outbreak of the Civil War resulted in President Lincoln making an effort to shut down ports within the South to prevent materials from entering the Confederate stronghold. This should have left the lighthome vacant, but “Confederate troops took control of Old Baldy, and the lighthouse was incorporated into Bald Head Island’s Fort Holmes, home to more than 1,000 Confederate soldiers.⁴ ”

After the war, the lighthouse saw the introduction of its longest running resident, Sonny Dosher. A Confederate veteran, Dosher picked up jobs before eventually coming to serve 30 years at the lighthouse. During this time he came to witness the progression of the lighthouse itself, from new lighting techniques introduced in the late 1890s to the construction of the Cape Fear Light Station in 1903. Some sources place Capt Charlie Swan at the lighthouse from 1903-1933, however, after further investigation, conflicting sources prevented a definite answer. He is, however, placed at the Cape Fear Lighthouse neighboring Old Baldy, serving the island until its demolition in 1958. Swan may have assisted in the upkeep of Baldy at this time but no record places him at the location permanently. That leaves Dosher as the last recorder keeper. After Dosher’s departure, however, much of the knowledge of Baldy’s lighthouse keepers is unknown, leaving a gap in the narrative.

Inside of the lighthouse post restoration

However, all was not lost. Old Baldy became a symbol in World War II, when it served as a radio beacon. As stated by the Old Baldy foundation, “once America declared war against the Axis Powers, German U-boat submarines began patrolling off North Carolina's coast attacking vessels circumnavigating the state's three capes.⁵ ” This action caused patrols to be mounted on the shores of Bald Head, causing the lighthouse to once again bear witness to war. 

In 1988, however, years after its involvement in the war, the lighthouse no longer came to serve as navigational aid. The days of guiding ships through the night with their precious cargo were over, the lighthouse’s cottage lying vacant. Its light still lay active, however, as a hold to the structure's role in the island’s history.

Despite it no longer serving as a performing lighthouse, the story of the Bald Head Lighthouse was far from over. In 1995, the nonprofit Old Baldy Foundation (OBF) began restoration on the tower, soon opening it for public recreation. It soon came to be recognised on the National Register of Historic Places under this new management, with the OBF now in charge of maintaining and staffing the location. 

In 2000, the Bald Head Island would see yet another restoration. With the original keeper’s cottage gone, an effort was made to remake the two-story structure as historically accurate as possible. It now houses the location’s museum and gift shop, providing visitors with artifacts centered around the lighthouse’s history. In addition to the restored lighthouse itself, the establishment aims to transport visitors back in time, telling the story of a structure once crucial to the progression of the lower Cape Fear.

While this is in no way a complete history of the Bald Head Lighthouse, given the absence of narratives from some who resided within the lighthouse cottage and the lack of sources in regards to the years after the Second World War, this essay gives a deeper look into the impact of such a structure on life in the Cape Fear. This light house has withstood the test of time, trapping the stories of many within its walls. The hope is that this knowledge will continue to fuel the act of preservation, encapsulating more than what can be expressed within 14 lines of text. Bald Head Lighthouse stands as a physical reminder of people such as Henry Long and Sedgwick Springs, while also depicting the core of the island’s culture and past. Hopefully, it will prove to stand for many generations to come, bearing witness to the history of the Cape Fear River.