As a lighthouse volunteer, I have always remarked at the excitement and wonder on the faces of brave climbers. Volunteers at the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse agree that there are magical moments for those who stand aloft the tallest lighthouse in North America and behold the beauty of the ever-changing island on the Outer Banks. During moments on the catwalk of the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, people have renewed their faith in finding joy in life, become engaged, renewed wedding vows, given children their first experience in gaining confidence, and taken millions of pictures to capture the moment. Admittedly, standing on the catwalk of this lighthouse is a hard act to follow.

It is no wonder that there are many disappointed visitors when they find that the lighthouse has been closed to climbing by the public since June 11, 2001, when “a small (3 ½" x 2 ½" x 5/8"), relatively heavy, support segment from the cast iron, spiral stairway dislodged and fell,” according to the National Park Service, Outer Banks Group.

The two main questions that immediately rippled from the dunes of Hatteras Island to the mountains of California were: “Did the move affect the stairs? And the second, “How long will it be closed?” Stories quickly grew in sensationalism after the announcement that the lighthouse was closed, one even stating that the stairs had collapsed.

The answer to the first question is an unqualified, “No.” Cracks had been detected in the stairs before relocation, but it was thought that the repairs were yet a long time away. The footsteps of over 200,000 climbers a year, however, made the need for repairs more immediate.

The answer to the second question concerning “how long” has been addressed by park service administration. “Due to the timeframes involved with receipt of contracted inspection reports, determination of final costs and methodology, and the time needed to complete temporary repairs, it will not be possible to reopen the lighthouse this season as we had originally hoped," stated Cape Hatteras National Seashore Superintendent Francis Peltier. "This is a disappointment, since climbing the lighthouse is a significant attraction for park visitors. We must, however, be conscientious in determining what is best for the structure in the long-term."

The Outer Banks Lighthouse Society (OBLHS) receives dozens of messages daily from Outer Banks visitors from all over the nation, and there has been a positive reception to the news that the lighthouse is temporarily closed due to repairs. Members of the lighthouse community travel extensively all over the world and encounter this situation at other lighthouses. These historic towers are well over one hundred years old and they are only recently receiving needed repairs. In America alone, we have lost approximately 40% of our lighthouses because they deteriorated beyond the point of saving. Cape Hatteras is fortunate that it is being attended to as best possible.

Photo courtesy Bruce Roberts

The light station grounds, keepers quarters, and the engraved foundation stones at the original site remain open to all visitors at no charge. And of course, the centerpiece, that spiraled, gentle giant, the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, dominates the scene. One email recently received by the Outer Banks Lighthouse Society following the announcement of the lighthouse’s temporary closure to climbing contained this message: “We just returned from our first (but certainly not last) visit to the Outer Banks on July 31. We visited the four lighthouses on Bodie, Hatteras, and Ocracoke Islands. While all four are breathtakingly beautiful, Cape Hatteras is a truly awe-inspiring, almost magical, structure. We visited her on five different occasions during our week's stay. One feels a sense of strength just by touching this beautiful piece of navigational history. Her beautiful rotating beacon, visible from the deck of our cottage, made me smile and provided comfort throughout the night. Though we could not climb, we're relieved her move was successful, insuring her survival for generations to come.”

There is something of the “American way” in all this. It is refreshing to know that people care for the nation’s historic structures and do not allow a temporary inconvenience to spoil that love affair.

Since the relocation, there have been several ongoing projects at Cape Hatteras, but the final appearance of this light station will not “come to life” until Phase III monies are in place and a visitors center completed. The Outer Banks Lighthouse Society looks forward to the day when the light station once again appears as it did during the early years of the twentieth century. We will keep you posted on the progress of this project.