Brief Site History

The Oak Island Lighthouse was completed in 1958. The lights are 169 feet above the water, but the actual structure is 158 feet tall and stands on a slight rise. The walls are 8 inches thick, and the three stripe color pattern is permanently cast into the concrete.

The Oak Island light is located on property that has been in use as a US Coast Guard station since the 1930's, and prior to that it was a U.S. Lifesaving Station. The current Coast Guard station was recently reconstructed after a fire completely destroyed the ten-year-old building in 2002.

In 2004 the Lighthouse and the surrounding property were deeded to the Town of Caswell Beach along with the adjacent beachfront property. While the Coast Guard has retained responsibility for maintenance of the lighthouse and the grounds.

Dune Ecology

The back dune is a more stabilized coastal dune that is vegetated with a dense thicket of salt-tolerant shrubs. The back dune is probably the most rapidly disappearing dune community because it is prime real estate for resort and residential development.

Vegetation plays a major role in dune stabilization. Most plants cannot tolerate the extremely harsh environment of the dune. Native dune plants have special characteristics that make them capable of growing in loose, dry, unstable, and nutrient poor soils; and capable of sustaining exposure to wind, salt spray, intense light, and storms. Well-maintained dune areas preserve and enhance the beauty and value of the coast and coastal ecosystems, while providing important natural habitat for plants and animals.