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Builder of 1803 Cape Hatteras Light Famous in New England
Winter 2003
Article by Cheryl Shelton-Roberts
Outer Banks Lighthouse Society
Henry Dearborn, M.D.
If you were asked, “Which do you believe about who built the 1803 Cape Hatteras Lighthouse? Was the builder a Revolutionary war hero on General Washington’s staff--or, a young physician from New Hampshire--or an ambassador to Portugal--or Secretary of War for President Thomas Jefferson?"
They are all correct.
Henry Dearborn, builder of both the first Cape Hatteras and Shell Castle Island Lighthouses (Ocracoke Inlet replaced by the present Ocracoke Island tower), is known in the history books as one of Thomas Jefferson’s top cabinet members. He also had been a brilliant young officer that helped turn the tide of the Revolutionary War in the favor of a young America. In fact, he was there on Washington’s staff at Yorktown when Cornwallis surrendered. Additionally, he was a medical doctor, a United States Marshall, Ambassador to Portugal and, in his later years, Senior Major General of the Army in 1812. As Collector at Boston, Henry Dearborn coordinated many of the early lighthouse contracts including the 15 Winslow Lewis lamps for the 1823 Ocracoke Lighthouse.
The great moment in his life may have been his participation in the victory at Yorktown. If anyone deserved to be there at that moment, it was General Dearborn. He had taken his company of Minutemen from New Hampshire to Bunker Hill near Boston where they surprised the Redcoats with their immovable stance behind a split rail fence. He took part in an invasion of Canada, taking his men through the uncharted Maine wilderness to meet with Benedict Arnold’s army in an unsuccessful attack on Quebec where he was captured and imprisoned for a year.
True to his resourcefulness, he turned defeat into success. Upon his parole, he rejoined the American army in time to help turn the battle at Ticonderoga into a victory, which brought critically-needed support from France in our struggle for American independence. Following this monumental event, he was at Valley Forge with his troops during that historic winter.
Cape Hatteras Sunrise © Bruce Roberts
Early Morning sunlight illuminates the base of the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse and the double and principal keepers' quarters as the light station enters its third century of service. The first tower, no longer standing, went into service in 1803 when Thomas Jefferson was President. The builder of the first lighthouse, Henry Dearborn, was appointed by Jefferson to his cabinet as Secretary of War for both administrations.
Dearborn is remembered in New England as one of the “Framers of Freedom.” Thomas Jefferson had many choices for Secretary of War; indeed, the Revolutionary War had produced many good officers as prospects. But Dearborn was a fellow thinker who agreed with Jefferson’s ideas of a Republican Democracy and started one of the first “think tanks” on the doctrines of democracy.
Two years before the election, Dearborn had signed contracts to build Shell Castle Island and Cape Hatteras Lighthouses. Then, after Jefferson was elected President in 1800, he brought Dearborn on board his cabinet in 1801. He somehow handled both the construction job and cabinet post simultaneously.
Major General Henry Dearborn is remembered for many things as an integral character in the making of this country. Now we can remember him for taking part in the creation in a lighthouse site that would become one of the best-known in the world.
Excerpt is from the upcoming book Lighthouses of the North Carolina Coast by Cheryl Shelton-Roberts and Bruce Roberts, published by Our State Books. In print February 2004. To reserve a copy, contact OUR STATE BOOKS, Greensboro, NC.
Celebration of 200 Years of Light at Cape Hatteras
Winter 2003
Article by Cheryl Shelton-Roberts
Outer Banks Lighthouse Society
Cape Hatteras
On a late fall day, typically blustery Outer Banks weather greeted a group of over 100 people who came to pause for a while and remember the Cape Hatteras keepers and their families. Huddling together at the Circle of Stones that mark the original site of the 1870 tower, the brisk and salty wind reminded us of the tough conditions under which our coast watchers frequently worked.
For 200 years there has been a light at Cape Hatteras, tended by keepers and their families to mark the Graveyard of the Atlantic. However, the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse was different from the time it was conceived. For the first time in America, a light was constructed to warn mariners away, not to welcome them into a harbor. Prior to the government taking responsibility for building American lighthouses in 1789, local merchants along the East Coast collected duties on cargoes entering and leaving colonial ports to fund lighthouse construction. These colonial lights burned like neon signs of modern-day businesses. A harbor light meant, “We’re open business, come here and make a deal.” Cape Hatteras, however, was not a friendly light as it warned of dangerous Diamond Shoals and flashed a warning, “Stay as far away as possible.”
A tribute
The Outer Banks Lighthouse Society did not want the bicentennial of this historic light station site to pass without due commemoration. Just weeks prior to the celebration weekend on October 18, 2003, the tightly-wound Hurricane Isabel rushed onto the Outer Banks and caused havoc and damage of historic proportions. The weekend was cancelled, but due to members’ encouragement, the event was replanned. And it was grand.
Old Glory © Bruce Roberts
The "Old Glory" flag, with 15 stars and stripes, was the first American flag raised at Cape Hatteras in 1803. It flew over the lighthouse again October 18, 2003 in honor of 200 Years of Light at Cape Hatteras. The Outer Banks Lighthouse Society co-sponsored the event with the National Park Service.
In a humble and reverent ceremony, Sandra MacLean Clunies, certified genealogy researcher for Hatteras Keepers Oral and Family Histories, read the names of the Principal Keepers. After each name, Joe Schwartzer of the Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum struck the bell of the ghost ship Carroll A. Deering. The engraved granite face stones of the first plinth, left behind during the 1999 relocation of the 1870 tower and just several yards from the original 1803 lighthouse, have become a historic site as well. It hosts weddings, funerals, and christenings. As Bett Padgett sang “Two Hundred Years of Light,” onlookers moved quietly with the rhythm. The Atlantic rolled in just yards away sounding like a soundtrack for a movie theme song, only it was real and unmuffled by absent sand dunes completely washed away by the recent hurricane. Historian and author Kevin Duffus delivered an outstanding, well-researched history of the site that spanned 200 years. He spoke of the lighthouses, the keepers, historical events the lighthouses silently witnessed, shipwrecks, and the bravery of surfmen who attempted to rescue all who met misfortune there. As OBLHS cofounder and president, I noted that “We are all Keepers of the Lights now. Our American lights have gone from being critical aids to navigation to icons of our pioneering spirit as mariners. They serve as a source of great joy to many and represent the honest principals upon which our nation was founded. It is up to us to see our magnificent historic sites are kept for all to experience. Cape Hatteras represents the rich maritime history of the Outer Banks and has become a national icon and landmark. It exhibits strength and stability and perseverance, the very best of the American character.”
Following the ceremony, everyone returned to the lighthouse for free climbing throughout the day. Thanks to our cosponsor, the National Park Service, OBLHS members received special reserved climbing times. In the big tent near the lighthouse, visiting authors spoke on various subjects. Well-known Outer Banks historian, David Stick, commented on his father’s efforts to help create the Cape Hatteras National Seashore during the 1930s, the first national seashore in history. Its significance becomes more apparent as its wilderness environment is a treasure amongst growing development on the Outer Banks. It is not only a refuge for birds, turtles, and a plethora of other fauna and flora, but it is also a refuge for mankind to leave behind the stress of daily routines and enjoy relaxation. National Park Service Cultural Resources Specialist Doug Stover along with Bruce Roberts and Homer Hickam also addressed the crowd. Each of us attending harbor a story about what lighthouses mean to us. We like to share how our lives are enriched by visiting them, volunteering for them, working to save them. In a fitting tribute to save thoughts about the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse for future generations, Kevin Duffus designed a time capsule in which various books, newspaper articles, and comments by visitors, volunteers, and local students will be enclosed and buried during early 2004.
I have written many times about the importance of saving lighthouses as part of our American heritage. Beyond the many things discovered that lighthouses represent, I continue to discover that lighthouses also symbolize “friendship.” In working with the fine members of the lighthouse community, my family and I have made lasting and meaningful friends who are generous, kind, and hard-working. For all of us attending the event, I think author Homer Hickam summed it up beautifully in several radio interviews in the Raleigh and Chapel Hill areas afterwards,
“It was one of the most inspirational weekends I’ve ever experienced.”
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Cape Lookout Light Station © Bruce Roberts
The 1859 Cape Lookout Light Station is located on remote Core Sound Banks Island. The lighthouse was designed by Lt. W.H.C. Whiting, Army Corps Engineer based in Wilmington, NC, who became a captain during the Civil War and died following the battle of Ft. Fisher. Its height reached skyward over 150 feet, making it one of the courntry's first tall, coastal lights built of double-wall brick construction. It survived the Civil War though its companion 1812 tower was destroyed. The repaired first order Fresnel lens was reinstalled in 1867 and it was fitted with iron spiral stairs. It was painted in black and white diamonds, then called "checkers," in 1873. The Cape Lookout Lighthouse survived Hurricane Isable in September 2003 but the coal shed, the small building in front of the keeper's quarters, was blown over and subsequently removed. The ruins of the 1812 lighthouse are still evident adjacent to the current lighthouse.
A Day of Celebration
100 Years Later
December 17, 2003
Article by J.B. Ruffin
Kill Devil Hills
The rain came down in torrents early Wednesday morning. We were waiting at the bus stop, rain coats and hats pulled tight hoping to arrive at the Wright Brothers Monument in time to see the President and to witness the re-enactment of the first flight scheduled for exactly 10:35 am this December morning.
Newspaper reports had indicated more than 170,000 tickets had been sold for the week-long Centennial of Flight Celebration. And while there was no official total for today's event, it had been estimated that 35,000+ visitors would attend todays finale'. Both December 16th and 17th events had been sold out.
Re-enactment Flight
© Photography Courtesy John Harris
Traffic had been building all week. Restaurant parking lots were full, over 2,600 motel rooms and 5,000 rental cottages had been booked in Dare County alone. If the weather hadn't been so chilly you would have thought it was July or August .. except for the buses. Yep, buses on the Outer Banks. Hundreds of buses, all colors and makes from cities all over North Carolina and the surrounding area had been brought in by the N.C. Department of Transportation to shuttle visitors to and from the events each day of the Celebration. The plan was to minimize disruption for local residents and efficiently move visitors to and from the Wright Brothers Memorial events. And it worked.
The thought of the rain driving away visitors vanished when our bus arrived at the shuttle stop and only had room for 6 more passengers. Thank goodness our party of five was first in line. While we were lucky getting on the shuttle, our luck ran out when we arrived at the Memorial's main gate. Hundreds, if not thousands, of visitors had arrived and were slowly making their way through the security checks .. and the rain was coming down harder than ever. Water ran over your shoes from the run-off, it ran down your neck from your neighbor's umbrella and yet, surprisingly, nearly everyone was in good humor; especially the Park Service employees and volunteers who gently prodded this mass of humanity and thanked them for their participation in the 'sardine packaging' exercise.
And then it happened .. a miracle of sorts. Entering the security tent the rain was non-yielding; passing out the other side into the Park itself, the rain stopped! Oh it was still wet alright and you had the feeling it could begin again at any minute, but the hard driving, soaking rain had mercifully stopped.
The President Salutes
We heard the noise of the helicopter blades beginning to rotate and the whine of the turbines and the images on the huge screens of the President waving goodbye. Although we had missed President Bush's arrival and short remarks, we saw him in the doorway of Marine One waving just prior to his departure. The President had flown in along with an escort of four other Marine helicopters. They left to thunderous applause from an appreciative crowd that was so large it covered the Monument hillside and wrapped around the Park grounds. There was hardly room to stand. Later in a final tribute, the President flew over the Monument in Air Force One. The distinctive blue and white Boeing peeked just below the fog and low hanging clouds, dipped a wing in salute to Wilbur and Orville, and then was gone.
The Flight Attempted
The Experimental Aircraft Association’s national initiative, "Countdown to Kitty Hawk sponsored by Ford Motor Company," culminated with the attempted re-enactment of the first flight in a powered aircraft scheduled for 10:35 a.m., the exact moment Orville Wright lifted off the ground 100 years ago. The $1.2 million replica of the Wright Flyer didn't make it into the air when officials tried to launch it just before 12:30 p.m. and again at 3:50 p.m. The rain and lack of wind proved insurmountable obstacles to the small, fragile, fabric-covered aircraft so meticulously created and cared for by its dedicated team of engineers and flight enthusiasts.
In the end, this Celebration was influenced by the Outer Banks weather as was the first flight 100 years ago. The unpredictable Outer Banks weather fought the Wright Brothers from September to December 1903. Indeed, the Wrights didn't want to fly in December because of the cold and rain and wind.
And, it happened again. How remarkable it is to think that 100 years later there are still only two pilots who have flown a Wright Flyer from Kitty Hawk .. Orville and Wilbur Wright.
December 17, 2003, jbr
Centennial Thank You
The Rush to Prepare
Staff Report
Outer Banks
One would be remiss in not taking the time to congratulate the local, State and Federal officials (including the National Park Service) and countless volunteers for their efforts in organizing, staffing and funding the 2003 First Flight Centennial Celebration.
It should not be lost on the reader that the Outer Banks suffered a devastating blow from Hurricane Isabel on September 18, 2003. Hatteras Island was cut in three places, power outages were wide spread, many commercial properties and private homes were damaged beyond repair. See Isabel images.
Were it not for the outstanding efforts by Dare County, FEMA, North Carolina State officials, local police, local fire fighters and EMS, many commercial firms (like the power company), and countless volunteers, the likelihood that the Outer Banks could have hosted the Centennial would have been seriously questioned.
The weather is and always will be a part of life on North Carolina's Outer Banks. Learning to deal with it requires courage. Much of what visitors were able to experience during the 2003 First Flight Centennial Celebration was the result of a lot of hard work and the indomitable Outer Banks spirit.
Currituck Beach Lighthouse © Bruce Roberts
The Currituck Beach Lighthouse was conveyed to permanent stewards, Outer Banks Conservationists, Inc. on October 17, 2003, following an application and review process under the auspices of the Department of the Interior. The lighthouse, keepers' quarters and grounds are beautifully restored and ranked as one of the best restoration projects in America.
Currituck Beach Lighthouse Stairs © Bruce Roberts
The iron spiral stairs at the Currituck Beach Lighthouse hug the contour of the inner brick wall. Akin to the inside of a nautilus shell, the symmetry of the ascending stairs is striking. This lighthouse and the one at Bodie Island are built from identical plans. Army Corps Engineer and later fifth district U.S. Lighthouse engineer Peter C. Hains was present during the completion of Cape Hatteras Lighthouse in 1870 and supervised the construction of Bodie Island Lighthouse 1870-72 and Currituck Beach, completed in 1875. Hains was later famous for dredging the Potomac River and creating the park lands upon which the Lincoln Memorial is located. Hains Point is named for him.
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