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Height of tower: 155 feet, 169 feet at focal plane, Year Completed: 1958, Signal Distance: 19 Nautical
Miles, Signal Pattern: 1 white flash each for 4 seconds and 6 seconds off
Built by the U.S. Coast Guard instead of the U. S. Lighthouse Service,
the Oak Island Lighthouse is built of reinforced concrete and paint mixed
together to eliminate the need for painting. Its main light, comprised of
four rotating 24-inch parabolic mirrors and 1000 watt, 120V AC quartz
bulbs, makes it the strongest in the country. Closed for climbing to the
public, the Oak Island Light may be viewed from the Southport-Bald Head
Island ferry.
The Oak Island Lighthouse, still part of a U.S. Coast Guard Station, has been transferred to the Town of Caswell Beach. The Friends of Oak Island Lighthouse, a private nonprofit group, is planning the future of this unique lighthouse. Visitors can view the lighthouse from outside the Coast Guard station and from a wooden walkover across the road on the ocean side.
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