The Cape Fear Light Station, constructed in 1903, stood as a vital maritime beacon to guide ships away from the dangerous Frying Pan Shoals at the mouth of the Cape Fear River. Atop the lighthouse was a powerful rotating first-order Fresnel lens, an engineering marvel designed to project a clear, far-reaching beam across the turbulent waters. The lens, first crafted in 1872, weighed nearly a ton and was supported by a pedestal that, over time, wore down due to the immense weight. By 1920, the lens was mounted on a new pedestal with a groundbreaking mercury float system, a frictionless design first proposed by Augustin Fresnel in 1819 and not widely adopted until 1890.
 

The Cape Fear Light Station’s Fresnel lens served as a beacon for mariners navigating the treacherous Frying Pan Shoals until the lighthouse was decommissioned and demolished in 1958 after the Oak Island Lighthouse was completed. Before its demolition, however, the Fresnel lens and mercury float were removed and sold. In 1968, the lens was purchased by a Wilmington antique shop, Labriola Antiques, where it remained on display for decades.
 

A Mission to Recover the Lens
In 2019, the Old Baldy Foundation launched a successful campaign to acquire pieces of the historic Fresnel lens. Thanks to the generosity of lighthouse enthusiasts and supporters, we now hold 30% of the original glass, the iron framework, and the mercury float. However, we know that additional prisms still exist in private collections, and we are working to recover them so that future visitors can experience firsthand the brilliance of the "invention that saved a million ships."
 

In 2016, members of the Outer Banks Lighthouse Society, John and Aida Havel, as well as Bett and Bill Padget, discovered full flash panels for sale at a flea market. In 2022, OBF staff member Julie Cox identified and purchased two prisms from an estate sale. If you know the whereabouts of any other prisms, we invite you to donate or help us acquire them so that we can restore this vital piece of maritime history.
 

Captain Charlie Swan: The Keeper of Cape Fear Light Station
One of the most memorable figures in the history of the Cape Fear Light Station is Captain Charlie Swan, the first keeper of the lighthouse. Born on August 19, 1873, in Amelia Island, Florida, Charlie was raised in the lighthouse keeper's life. His father, Henry Swan, served as a lighthouse keeper on several stations, including the Little Cumberland Lighthouse and the Frying Pan Light Ship in the Lower Cape Fear region.
 

After serving in the Spanish-American War, Charlie followed in his father's footsteps, becoming part of the U.S. Lighthouse Establishment and later the U.S. Lighthouse Service. He was appointed keeper of the Cape Fear Light Station in 1903 and lived on Bald Head Island with his family until his retirement in 1933.
 

Captain Charlie's family life on Bald Head Island was a blend of the island’s idyllic beauty and the rugged realities of lighthouse keeping. His children, including Margaret, Charles, and Mary Esther Swan, spent summers on the island, enjoying its natural wonders while also learning to contend with the challenges of island life—mosquitoes, ticks, and the isolation of the lighthouse.
 

Tragedy struck in 1915 when Captain Charlie’s wife, Marie Rose, passed away. After her death, Charlie married Bessie Flora Holden Hickman in 1917, who became the stepmother to his children and bore him three more children. Captain Charlie lived on the island until his retirement, after which he moved to Southport, where he passed away in 1964.
 

The Legacy of the Cape Fear Light Station
Although the original Cape Fear Light Station is no longer standing, its legacy lives on through the history preserved by the Old Baldy Foundation. Visitors can learn more about the rich maritime history of Bald Head Island and the important role that the Cape Fear Light Station played in guiding mariners through one of the most dangerous stretches of water on the East Coast.
 

To further explore the fascinating history of Bald Head Island and its light stations, we invite you to visit the Old Baldy Lighthouse and the Smith Island Museum of History, where you can see artifacts, learn about the lives of those who served at the Cape Fear Light Station, and even catch a glimpse of the Fresnel lens that once guided countless ships to safety.