Summerfest

Our beer, like our history, is well worth remembering™

OCRACOKE LIGHTHOUSE

Ocracoke lighthouse was built in 1823 at a cost of $11,359. It is the oldest North Carolina lighthouse still in continuous service and the second oldest in the U.S. (Boston Light - built in 1716 - on Little Brewster Island was the first U.S. lighthouse). Ocracoke Island is a 16-mile long barrier island, located off the Outer Banks and was made famous by Blackbeard the Pirate, who used Ocracoke Island as a hideout and hangout. In 1715, an act was passed to establish Ocracoke Island as a port to help improve trade and navigation around the coast. In the late 1700s, the North Carolina General Assembly passed an act to build Ocracoke Lighthouse. Construction was delayed in 1790 and mariners succeeded in putting a beacon at Shell Castle Island instead. The Shell Castle lighthouse served it’s purpose well until 1818, when it was destroyed by lightning. It was not rebuilt, since the channel had shifted and became useless. By the 1820s, Ocracoke Island had become a major shipping port. It was logical to once again consider putting a lighthouse on the island. Two acres near Silver Lake Harbor were purchased from Jacob Gaskill for $50. The lighthouse was approved for construction in 1822 and was built and lit by 1823.