.png)
The Construction of the First Lighthouse
The first lighthouse on Bald Head Island, often referred to as "Older Baldy," was constructed in the 1790s after years of debate over the need for navigational aids along the Cape Fear River. North Carolina’s rapid growth in the late 18th century, fueled by the exportation of naval stores like tar, pitch, and lumber, contributed to the increasing need for safe passage along the river. Wilmington, at the mouth of the Cape Fear River, had grown into an important trade hub, but mariners found it difficult to navigate the Cape Fear Inlet due to its hazardous waters.
Construction of the lighthouse began in the mid-1780s after the North Carolina Assembly imposed a shipping duty to fund the project. Benjamin Smith, the landowner of Bald Head Island at the time, donated a parcel of land for the lighthouse. By 1790, construction had begun, though it was slow, as funding and materials were scarce. Alexander Hamilton, who was overseeing the lighthouse project, expressed concerns about the lighthouse’s quality, questioning the construction methods and materials used. A report from William Allibone, an engineer sent to assess the project, noted that the lighthouse’s walls appeared weak compared to others along the East Coast.
Despite these concerns, the U.S. Lighthouse Service officially took over the lighthouse project in 1791, and by 1794, Henry Long was appointed the first keeper of Bald Head Lighthouse. The tower was built using bricks made in Philadelphia and shipped to Bald Head Island. The structure was eight stories tall, with a 10-foot-wide base and a 15-foot-high iron lantern room that was equipped with glass windows and a copper dome.
The Demise of the Original Lighthouse
Unfortunately, the proximity of the original lighthouse to the Cape Fear River proved to be problematic. In 1761, the formation of New Inlet due to a hurricane shifted the river’s currents, contributing to significant erosion on the southwest side of Bald Head Island, where the lighthouse was located. Despite efforts to protect the lighthouse from the eroding shore, such as the appropriation of $2,000 in 1810 by the U.S. Lighthouse Service, the lighthouse’s fate was sealed. In 1813, the Bald Head Lighthouse was demolished due to the erosion caused by the shifting river. However, many of the materials from the lighthouse, including 60,000 bricks and the iron lantern room, were salvaged and used in the construction of Old Baldy in 1817.
Legacy of the Original Lighthouse
Although the Bald Head Lighthouse was demolished, its legacy lived on in both the bricks and lantern room that were repurposed for the new structure. The bricks from the 18th century continue to stand in the current lighthouse, symbolizing the enduring history of Bald Head Island’s role in maritime navigation.