Cape Lookout National Seashore ⓘ

From very early on, North American colonists recognized the need to establish lighthouses to protect ships traveling along the coast. Some lighthouses were created to warn ships away from dangerous areas while others were meant to guide mariners into safe harbor.

Initially, these lighthouses were built and maintained by towns or states. In 1789, all the existing lighthouses, beacons, and buoys were brought under the control of the federal government. Through the years, this governing body went through several changes in structure and leadership which impacted both the lights being built and how and by whom they were maintained.

For more information on the history of the Light House Service, visit the U.S. Coast Guard's Lighthouses, Lightships, Tenders & Other Aids to Navigation webpage .

The first Cape Lookout lighthouse was authorized by Congress in 1804 and completed in 1812. As with most lighthouses, one Keeper was assigned to the station to maintain the light. A Keeper's Quarters was built near the light to house the Keeper and his family since he might be called upon at any time, in the event of a sudden storm, to light the light.

Unfortunately, the light from this 107-foot tall tower only reached about 12 miles out to sea and complaints were soon made about the effectiveness of this lighthouse. Following the development of the Lighthouse Board, funding for the replacement and repair of lighthouses increased. In 1857, Congress appropriated money for the creation of a new lighthouse at Cape Lookout, which was completed two years later.

Shortly before the second tower was completed, two Assistant Keepers were appointed to the Cape Lookout Light Station. This allowed each Keeper to work one 24-hour period followed by two days off. These three Keepers were housed in the 1812 Keeper's Quarters and 1812 Lighthouse. Later, additional housing would be built to accommodate the Keepers and their families.

Keeping the light lit may seem like a simple task, but in reality there was a lot of work involved in maintaining a lighthouse. The light had to be burning from sunset to sunrise every day and during any daytime storms that obscured visibility. Before electricity, oil was used to fuel the light. At Cape Lookout, two 5-gallon cans of whale oil or kerosene (weighing about 45 pounds each) had to be carried up the 216 steps to the lantern room at least once per day. The keepers may have lightened their load by hauling the oil up the outside of the tower using ropes and horses.

The lamp wicks had to be trimmed every four hours to prevent the burnt ends from producing smoke that would cover the glass lens, dimming the light. This task earned Keepers the nickname "wickies."

There were more than 1,000 glass prisms which composed the almost 8 foot tall First Order Fresnel (pronounced Frey-nell) lens used in the Cape Lookout lighthouse. These prisms as well as the lamps, reflectors, brass fittings, windows, and steps had to be cleaned every day.

Keepers were also responsible for keeping detailed records of the oil and other supplies they received and used. And, the lighthouse, Keeper's Quarters, and support buildings would need to be periodically painted and repaired.

Despite the sandy terrain, many keepers tended gardens to supplement their flour and food allotment. Most of these families also kept livestock, such as cows, goats, sheep, chickens, and horses. Because they lived on an island, they did not fence the animals into a pen, but fenced them out of the gardens.

Generally, the lighthouse keepers at Cape Lookout would be allowed to have their families with them on the island. However, there were no schools on the island. This meant that children would either be homeschooled, some with old textbooks from Harkers Island Elementary, or they would live with their mothers or other relatives on the mainland during the school year. That meant that some keepers might spend months at a time either away from their families or only seeing them on the weekends.

The tedious workload and isolation could take its toll. Depression and alcoholism were common among keepers. Some of the Cape Lookout keepers occupied themselves reading the books that were delivered with the weekly mail. Until 1899, the keepers could also walk to a small community known as Diamond City, located on Shackleford Banks. At other times, the keepers would provide valuable assistance to the crew of the Cape Lookout Life-Saving Station, including during the rescue of the Olive Thurlow . In addition, the Cape Lookout lighthouse was not always as lonely as some other duty stations because there were three keepers instead of one.

As technology became more advanced, the duties of the light keepers decreased. In 1939, the Light House Service was absorbed into the newly established Coast Guard. The Cape Lookout lighthouse came under the watch of the Coast Guard Station located about two miles south of the lighthouse. When that station was decommissioned, the Fort Macon Station became responsible for maintaining this light, a duty they continue to this day.

The dangers of coastal North Carolina and other areas along the Atlantic coast were recognized shortly after colonial settlements were established in North America. However, it would be a long time before rescue efforts were organized under a federal agency. For many years, rescue efforts were left to local residents and volunteer crews. At the turn of the 19th century, the state of North Carolina established "wreck districts" with commissioners, or venue masters, and local residents who assisted ships in distress.

During the 1830s and 40s, Congress authorized, and funded, shipwreck rescue operations through the Revenue Marine Service and local, private rescue crews--but most of this money went to New England. A Congressional act in 1854 marked the beginning of facilities and crews established by the federal government as opposed to the previous facilities and crews which were simply funded by the government.

However, the outbreak of the Civil War stalled these efforts. For more information on the influence of the war on Core Banks, visit the Civil War Along the Outer Banks webpage .

The service was reorganized and improved after the war by the new head of the Revenue Marine Service, Sumner I. Kimball. It has been said that hiring Kimball in 1871 was "the single most important event" in the history of the service. Numerous new stations were built, staffed, and supplied during the 1870s. In June of 1878, the Life-Saving Service was officially established within the Treasury Department.

Three stations were built on Core Banks in what is now Cape Lookout National Seashore. The first station, named the Cape Lookout Life-Saving Station, was built in 1888 about two miles south of the Cape Lookout Lighthouse . The Portsmouth Life-Saving Station was built in 1894 within the boundaries of Portsmouth Village , at the northern end of the park. Both of these stations are standing today and the Portsmouth Station includes exhibits describing the Life-Saving Service and the lives of surfmen.

The Core Banks Station--built in 1896 and located around mile 20 of the park--was destroyed in a fire in the 1970s.

Although located farther apart than the Secretary of the Treasury's 1878 recommendation of 5 miles, these stations represented a significant improvement in life-saving efforts on North Carolina's southern coast. Cape Lookout National Seashore has compiled a list of Life-Saving Station Keepers for all three stations, as well as a listing of individual surfmen for the Porstmouth Life-Saving Station .

Many people associate surfmen with daring rescues and unmatched heroism, and rightly so. But, much of their time was spent on drills. Sumner Kimball believed that only training and repetition sharpened a person's lifesaving skills.

A lifesaver's week began on Monday with training in the Beach Apparatus Drill. This drill prepared the surfmen to rescue shipwreck victims close to shore using the breeches buoy. Lines would be fired from the Lyle Gun to the ship and secured by the passengers based on the instructions printed on the Tally Board. Then, the breeches buoy would be sent out and the passengers, one by one, would be transported to the shore. The drill had to be done in five minutes or less. Any crewman who was found to be delaying the drill's execution could be fired on the spot. Sumner Kimball claimed he had seen a drill done in two and a half minutes.

Tuesday was devoted to boat practice, including the righting of surfboats. The crew practiced signal flag techniques on Wednesday and repeated the Beach Apparatus Drill on Thursday. On Friday the crew could be found practicing first aid and rescue breathing techniques. Everyone pitched in to clean the station and quarters on Saturday.

In addition to practicing daily drills each surfman walked a four hour beach patrol in the evening. During this time they kept a watchful eye on the ocean looking and listening for the sounds or signs of a ship in distress. In other areas, beach checks were exchanged between the surfmen of neighboring stations to verify that the patrols were being completed. However, the three stations on Core Banks were too far apart to use this method. Watchmen's clocks were used instead. Posts marked the ends of the patrol area. The clocks were installed on these posts along with a key for the clock. The patrolling surfman would insert the key into the clock and the patrol would be recorded.

Surfmen had three basic methods of rescuing shipwreck victims: the surfboat, the breeches buoy, and the life car. The surfboat is possibly the most well-known method of rescue. The crew would row this small boat to the site of the wreck and load victims on the rescue boat to be taken to safety. The breeches buoy was, essentially, a pair of shorts sewn into a life preserver. Lines were sent out to the ship and victims were pulled back to shore while sitting in the breeches buoy. The life car employed a similar method: a line was sent out and individuals got inside the small metal tube, closed the hatch, and were pulled to the shore.

The Keeper of the station would select the method he felt would be best for each particular rescue. If that method failed several times, he would select another. If that method also failed, the crew would attempt the third. Only if all three methods failed could the Keeper declare that a rescue was impossible.

This requirement is, in part, why the unofficial motto of the U.S. Life-Saving Service was, "You have to go out; you don't have to come back."

In cases where the rescuers demonstrated extraordinary effort or extreme and heroic daring, the surfmen could be awarded a Silver or Gold Lifesaving Medal, respectively. The rescue of the Sarah D.J. Rawson by the surfmen of the Cape Lookout Station merited such an award.

The Life-Saving Service merged with the Revenue Cutter Service in January of 1915 to become the U.S. Coast Guard, who would assume the charge of protecting those on coastal waters and enforcing maritime laws. In 1939, the Light House Service was absorbed into this organization as well. Although technology has advanced and rescue equipment has improved, the members of the U.S. Coast Guard still carry on the tradition started by the first volunteer crews and citizen rescuers by risking their lives to save others from the dangers of the sea.

Samuel C. Tolson, known as Uncle Sam, was born on Portsmouth Island on November 7, 1840. He worked as a mariner and lived on the island until he passed away in 1929. He is remembered by fellow villagers for his long-stemmed clay pipe, his sharp looking dress suit, and his dancing skills. Off the island, he is better known for his resemblance to an infamous assassin.

In mid-April of 1865, Sam Tolson and several others from Portsmouth traveled to Elizabeth City, NC in search of work.

Tolson was promptly arrested by Union soldiers and was charged with the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln. Sam Tolson so closely resembled the description of John Wilkes Booth which was sent to all Union posts that his shipmates were unable to convince the soldiers that he was not the assassin.

Booth and Tolson were not only similar in appearance and stature, they even wore the same size hats and shoes.

Some say Tolson was finally released when two notable Portsmouth Village residents traveled to Elizabeth City to vouch for him. Others report that he was only released when the Union soldiers received word that Booth had been fatally shot while resisting arrest in Virginia. Whatever the case may be, Sam Tolson was released from jail in Elizabeth City and returned home, to Portsmouth.

Sam Tolson spent the rest of his life on Portsmouth Island. Although he continued to work as a mariner along the coast of North Carolina, he never visited Elizabeth City again.

Uncle Sam Tolson died in Portsmouth Village on November 30, 1929 at the age of 89. He was buried in the Keeler Cemetery in an unmarked grave. The Friends of Portsmouth Island purchased a marker for Sam Tolson and placed it as close to the grave as possible. A memorial service was held on May 19, 2001. (See the Keeler Cemetary marked on the Portsmouth map [jpeg, 922 KB].)

On December 20, 1860, South Carolina became the first state to secede from the United States of America. Within two months, six additional states seceded and the Confederate States of American had been established. North Carolina was not among the first to seceded. Like many states in the upper South, lower Midwest, and lower New England, North Carolina considered itself in a middle ground between the extreme positions in the North and South. However, this moderate position would be challenged in the spring of 1861.

Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor fell to Southern guns on April 12 as the first shots of the Civil War were fired. A week later President Lincoln declared a Federal blockade of Southern ports from South Carolina to Texas and issued a Proclamation calling for the dedication of troops to fight the insurrection. North Carolina Governor John W. Ellis immediately refused and the state shifted from its tenuous neutrality.

Although North Carolina did not officially secede from the Union until May 20, 1861, Governor John Ellis sent the order to darken the principal lights along the coast the same day Lincoln announced the blockade of Southern ports.

Realizing that the coast was vulnerable, the Confederate Light House Bureau called for the lighthouses to be completely disabled in early June through the removal of the lighting apparatus. In late June, the first order Fresnel (pronounced Fray-nel) lens and lamps of the 1859 Cape Lookout lighthouse were removed and taken to a warehouse in Beaufort. Here it was stored along with the 4 th order lenses from the range lights on Bogue Banks and the smaller lenses from the lighted buoys marking the sea lane into Beaufort Inlet.

To learn more about the Cape Lookout Fresnel lens during the war, visit the Cape Lookout Light and the Civil War webpage.

Both the Union and the Confederacy recognized that controlling the trade routes along coastal North Carolina would be vital to controlling the state. Camp Washington was established by Confederate troops on Core Banks in the spring of 1861. Back Sound and Straits were protected by two Confederate camps located on Harkers Island. Fort Macon was captured in April of 1861 by Confederate troops. Fort Hatteras, Fort Clark, Fort Ocracoke, and an outpost on Roanoke Island were established to secure the northern Outer Banks.

However, within a year the majority of the North Carolina coast would come under Union control. Fort Clark and Fort Hatteras surrendered in August of 1861. Confederate forces abandoned Fort Ocracoke that September and many residents of Portsmouth Village left for the mainland as the Union army advanced down the coast. The outpost on Roanoke Island was taken in February of 1862, giving the Union full control of the northern Outer Banks. For more information on the events on the northern Outer Banks, view Cape Hatteras National Seashore's Civil War on the Outer Banks webpage.

In late March, Union forces set their sights on Fort Macon. U.S. Major General Burnside's army surrounded the fort and opened fire on April 26. The masonry walls of the fort were quickly breached and, within a few hours, the Confederate troops surrendered the fort. For more information on the events at Fort Macon, visit or contact Fort Macon State Park .

The Union controlled Cape Lookout lighthouse was relit with a third order Fresnel lens on March 1, 1863. Most of the original lenses were still in Confederate hands and the Federal Light House Bureau was finding it difficult to replace these lenses to relight the most important towers. Normally, a third order lens would be considered too small to be used at Cape Lookout, but these were not ordinary circumstances.

On April 3, 1864, a small band of Confederate troops, armed with kegs of powder, mounted an expedition with the intention of disabling the lighthouse. The reports of the damage done during this raid are conflicting.

However, physical and historical evidence indicates that the lower section of the iron spiral staircase of the 1859 lighthouse was badly damaged.

For more information on this raid, visit the The Cape Lookout Light and the Civil War webpage.

By necessity, the people of the Outer Banks (known as "bankers") have always been independent and self-reliant. When the Civil War reached the coast of North Carolina, the distance between bankers and the outside world dissolved. Interestingly, there are reports from both the Union and the Confederacy which claim that men on the Outer Banks and in the surrounding area would enlist--but only if they could be assured of being stationed nearby.

In a letter to North Carolina Governor John Ellis written on June 29th, 1861, Benjamin Seecraft laments this position held by Shackleford Banks residents:

"My endeavors to raise a Company, for the War, in the County of Carteret, have been unsuccessful. I find that a large number would enlist for the War provided they could have the assurance that they would be retained in the County."

"My belief is that troops could be raised here [Hatteras Inlet and Ocracoke Inlet areas] for the purpose of suppressing rebellion in North Carolina upon the assurance that they would not be called on to go out of the State."

For more on how the war impacted the residents of what would become Cape Lookout National Seashore, read The War Comes to Portsmouth .

In March of 1865, U.S. General Sherman's troops were marching through eastern North Carolina towards the Virginia boarder, but the Carolinas Campaign never reached the Outer Banks. In fact, this portion of North Carolina was relatively quiet from the summer of 1862 until the war ended three years later. (See our Timeline for the Civil War for more information.)

Today, very little physical evidence remains of this conflict on North Carolina's coast but the stories of battle and the voices of soldiers, both Union and Confederate, resonate through the land, waiting for those willing to stop and listen.

On December 5, 1902, the barkentine Olive Thurlow became stranded in Cape Lookout Bight, two miles northeast of the Cape Lookout Life-Saving Station. True to their profession, the station's surfmen responded to the Thurlow 's distress signal, fighting wind and waves to rescue to the stranded crew.

The 577-ton barkentine Olive Thurlow , while on her way to New York City with a load of yellow pine lumber from Charleston, South Carolina, encountered a strong north gale as they came abreast of Bodie Island. Captain Jerry O. Hayes decided to take the wheel himself, and instead of fighting the wind, he would come about and seek a safe harbor in Cape Lookout Bight.

While trying to make an adjustment to the tiller rope he caught his foot between the tiller and the quadrant, breaking his leg just above the ankle. They reached the cape on December 3rd without further mishap, and at 8 p.m. dropped anchor about 2 1/2 miles northeast of the station.

The following morning, the Captain, who was by now in desperate need of medical attention, hoisted a distress signal, and according to his testimony, "two minutes later," the signal was answered and within "20 minutes" the station crew was aboard.

Before departing, Keeper William H. Gaskill warned the Captain that bad weather was expected and that his vessel was in an extremely dangerous postition. Captain Hayes disagreed. A tug, the Atlantic , came alongside the Thurlow and the Captain offered to tow the barkentine to a safe harbor and deliver the Captain to Beaufort. When they could not strike a bargain, Keeper Gaskill again offered to move the ship. Instead, the First Mate, who was left in charge, lengthened the anchor chain to 60 fathoms and awaited the storm.

Captain Hayes was taken to Beaufort as soon as possible and later stated that he received all possible attention and was under many obligations to the keeper and the crew.

The station crew kept a close eye on the Thurlow and, as expected, the wind increased to hurricane force. When the Thurlow started dragging the anchor and moving towards the beach, the ship's crew fired two Coston signals. The distress signals were instantly answered by Surfman Walter M. Yeomans on north patrol.

The lifesavers quickly got their beach apparatus underway and, despite the soft, wet sand and high winds, made it to the sound side beach within an hour.

They found the doomed vessel lying broadside to the beach, about 450 yards off shore, with the sea breaking over her. The station crew soon had the Lyle gun set up, but it had to be moved and adjusted because the vessel was slowly washing westward out of range of the original shot.

On the third shot, using a 6-ounce charge and a No. 9 line, they succeed in landing the line in the mizzen shrouds (rope system on the third mast), where the crew had gathered.

Just as the line struck, the masts broke, knocking Steward John Chalky overboard, killing him instantly, and seriously injuring two others. The injured men fell to the top of the cabin along with the masts and the tangled rigging.

Minutes later the vessel began breaking up. The foremast fell; the deckload of lumber went, taking the forward house with it; then the bow and stern were both washed away leaving only the cabin for refuge.

The five surviving crewmen huddled on the cabin, holding on for dear life. Another shot was fired, which practically fell in the hands of the men. They quickly attached the tail block to the remains of the mizzen mast, but while the surfmen were busily trying to send out the hawser line for the breeches bouy, a monstrous wave tore off the top of the cabin, carrying the helpless sailors with it into the foaming breakers.

They were able to hang on by getting their arms through the opening left by the skylights. As they tumbled towards the shore, surrounded by the deadly remains of the vessel and the deck load, they were, according to Gaskill, sometimes "ten feet under water" but were finally tossed near enough to the waiting surfmen to be snatched to safety, "... more dead than alive. It was a wonder that any was saved, and that those in attempting to save them was not also killed by lumber and old wreckage which the sea was full of ruching in every direction carried by the breakers and undertow."

All were taken to the station, where they were treated and cared for. On the 7th of December, the weather finally cleared and they were able to reach Beaufort and proper medical care.

Keeper Gaskill later reported, "During the whole operation the wind was blowing a storm and the highest sea I have seen on the west side of the Cape during the 15 years I have been at this station." He also recognized assistance he received from the three lighthouse keepers (J. Wilson Gillikin, Head Keeper; James S. Davis, 1st Assistant Keeper; and Alpheus Willis, 2nd Assistant Keeper) and several fishermen who "... did all in their power in assisting us in hauling of lines and getting the men out of the surf..."

The letter below, addressed to The General Superintendent of the Life-Saving Service, Washington, D. C., is only one of several written to commend Keeper Gaskill and the Cape Lookout surfmen after the wreck of the Olive Thurlow.

We, the crew of the Barkentine Olive Thurlow, which went ashore December 5, at 4 a.m., and became a total wreck in Lookout Bay, wish to thank Captain Gaskill and his crew, of Cape Lookout life-saving station, for the timely assistance and care received at their hands.

We would also state that if the vessel had held together a little longer all would have been saved in the breeches buoy, but the mizzenmast broke, killing the steward and injuring two others, after their line had been made fast to it, for which they are in no wise to blame.

C. Florian, Mate A. Curtin, Second Mate F. Finch, Seaman J. Johnson, Seaman G. Burgensen, Seaman

"You have to go out, you don't have to come back." That was the unofficial motto of the U.S. Life-Saving Service. Crews of surfmen, under the command of a Station Keeper, practiced drills six days a week and patrolled the beaches twenty-four hours a day--ready to risk their lives to rescue strangers from the perils of the sea.

Three stations were constructed on Core Banks: the Cape Lookout Station, built approximately two miles south of the lighthouse; the Portsmouth Station, built in Portsmouth Village; and the Core Banks Station, built between the other two. For more information on the surfmen who manned these stations, visit the Surfmen of the U.S. Life-Saving Service webpage.

The most famous rescue at the Cape Lookout Life-Saving Station was of the crew of the Sarah D.J. Rawson . The Rawson was a 386-ton, three-masted schooner whose seven-man crew was carrying a full load of lumber from Georgetown, SC to New York in February of 1905. At 5:30 pm on Thursday, February 9th--seven days after setting sail--the Rawson was driven onto the shoals, or shallow waters, approximately nine miles southeast of the Cape Lookout Station.

When the ship struck the shoals, the crew began to take in sail. Five members of the ship's crew were struck as water swept over the decks. One member of the crew was washed overboard and disappeared into the surf. The waters continued to sweep the deck and the crew lost much of their cargo and, more importantly, their life-boat. As the ship moved further onto the shoal, it began to break up. The crew moved to the highest part of the ship and waited.

Nine miles away, a dense fog prevented the surfmen on watch from spotting the ruined schooner.It was noontime the next day before Keeper Gaskill saw the top of the Rawson and, based on the location, correctly guessed the ship was on the shoals.He gave the signal and the station crew immediately began preparing to launch the surfboat.

Keeper Gaskill and all eight members of the crew, most of them sick with influenza, set out for the wreck within 25 minutes of the first sighting.

The surfmen and Keeper reached the site of the wreck at 4:00 pm that Friday. The Rawson , lying on her starboard side, was in the middle of breaking waves and surrounded by floating wreckage and lumber. The life-saving crew repeatedly attempted to navigate the debris to reach the shipwrecked crew only to be beaten back. Unable to reach the ship, and with night approaching, the crew anchored the surfboat a few hundred yards away. They anchored so close to the wreck, still among the debris, so they would be near enough to rescue some or all of the crew if the ship were to break up in the storm.

The Keeper and surfmen endured hunger and fatigue and suffered from exposure, but they maintained a vigilant watch.

The surfmen returned to the wreck at dawn, but Keeper Gaskill made the decision to wait for the tide to turn, when he expected conditions to improve, before attempting the rescue. Around one in the afternoon, the wind and sea calmed enough so the surfmen were able to reach the schooner.

A heaving line was cast to the schooner and, one by one, the shipwrecked crew members tied the line to their waists and were pulled onboard the Surfboat. The surfmen used their own coats to warm the rescued men. They reached the Life-Saving Station at about 5:00 pm.

The crew of the Cape Lookout Life-Saving Station had spent more than 24 hours in their boat--with no food or water, in the middle of a storm, and exposed to the elements with most of the surfmen sick with the flu. But, they were able to rescue every sailor left on board.

Keeper William H. Gaskill and Surfmen Kilby Guthrie, Walter M. Yeomans, Tyre Moore, John A. Guthrie, James W. Fulcher, John E. Kirkman, Calupt T. Jarvis, and Joseph L. Lewis were awarded the Gold Life-Saving metal "for heroic daring" in the rescue of the crew of the Sarah D.J. Rawson .

With the exception of the Cape Lookout Lighthouse and Cape Lookout Life-Saving Station personnel, the village area saw no permanent residents until the twentieth century. Prior to September 1933, the present day islands of South Core Banks and Shackleford Banks were connected to one another near the lighthouse area. While fishing and whaling seasons brought short term residents to the bight of the cape to reside in beach-side camps, permanent settlement focused on Shackleford Banks which had been home to various communities as far back as the early 1700s. By the early 1900s, after particularly disastrous hurricane seasons in 1896 and 1899, the settlements on Shackleford Banks were mostly abandoned. While many residents moved across the sound to Harkers Island or other locations, a few of the fishing families from Shackelford Banks moved to an area between the Cape Lookout Lightstation and the Cape Lookout Life-Saving Station. This was the birth of Cape Lookout Village. Through the early part of the twentieth century, the village hit its peak, boasting as many as 80 residents. Cape Lookout Village had its own school and from 1910 to 1911 had its own post office. Cape Lookout Village’s hey-day, like its post office, would be short lived. As early as 1905, the Cape Lookout Life-Saving Station logbooks mention “gasoline boats” or motorboats in the area. The whine of their engine would be a death knell for the nearby village. Motor boats made amenities in nearby Harkers Island or Beaufort more accessible to the residents of Cape Lookout Village. It also made the waters these fishing families used to make a living accessible from those locations. This advancement in technology led to a decline in population in the village as more and more residents left to live on the neighboring islands or mainland where they would be closer to services but could still fish the cape thanks to their motorboats.

At the end of the 1919 term, Cape Lookout Village’s school closed its doors. A visitor to the village in 1921 noted that only two or three families remained. It was the end of an era for Cape Lookout Village as few remained to call it home. But for others, it was the beginning of making the islands their home-away-from-home. While the bight of Cape Lookout continued to attract local attention as a popular fishing area, by the 1920s, the area also began to attract attention as a vacation destination. The motorboats that allowed the former residents to move elsewhere also made the islands more accessible for those seeking recreation. What homes remained on the island began to be used by these tourists as well as locals as weekend or summer cottages. In 1913, a proposed resort community headed by the Cape Lookout Development Company had begun selling lots on the island but the development was never fully realized. In 1928, one of the first vacation homes built by someone from outside the area was completed: the Seifert-Davis or “Coca-Cola” House, which remains standing today. Many of the homes still remaining in the village date from this period of growth as the era of tourism and recreation at Cape Lookout began.

During World War II, Cape Lookout Village became home to a military presence as the bight was used to shelter convoys heading for Europe. To protect ships making use of the natural harbor, a submarine net was strung across the bight while nearly 400 acres near the Coast Guard Station were appropriated for wartime purposes. A battery of the 193rd Field Artillery was sent to the cape and two gun mounts were constructed. The 1st Battalion 244th Coastal Artillery served at Cape Lookout until 1942 when a battalion from the 2nd Coastal Artillery replaced them. Members of the 2nd began to be sent to other commands in late 1943. By early 1944, there were no remaining Army personnel stationed at Cape Lookout. Following WWII, year-round occupancy at Cape Lookout Village again declined, giving way to continued tourist and recreational use of the village area. Resort development of the village was again proposed in the 1950s and 1960s. Also at this time, the state of North Carolina began making plans for a proposed state park on the barrier islands south of Cape Hatteras National Seashore. What was hoped to become a state park would eventually become Cape Lookout National Seashore.

Over a century ago, Portsmouth Village was a bustling sea village. Today, the village stands in stark contrast to its days filled with sounds of fishermen, children playing, lifesavers practicing rescue drills, the tinkle of livestock bells, and the call of "Mailboat!". Yet all has not been lost. These structures in the village tell a story of changing times. The echoes of the past seem to surround you here, inviting you to explore and to imagine the daily struggle against this harsh environment.

Portsmouth Village was established in 1753 through an act of the North Carolina colonial assembly. Less than 20 years later, the village had become one of the largest settlements on the Outer Banks. The trade route which passed through Ocracoke Inlet provided numerous opportunities for "lightering" services and the accompanying shipping and storage facilities, allowing Portsmouth to remain a major port in North Carolina for nearly a century.

Large, heavily weighted sea-going ships bringing cargo through Ocracoke Inlet were unable to navigate the shallow interior waters of Pamilico Sound and Albemarle Sound to reach the larger communities of Edenton, Bath, and New Bern on the mainland. Instead arriving ships would transfer their cargo to shallower draft boats which could navigate the shallow waters of the sound to reach their intended destination. This process is known as "lightering" and Portsmouth was a "lightering" village, providing warehouses and docks needed to move and store the goods which passed through the inlet. Boat pilots, generally locally experienced men who knew the waters, shoals and other hazards of the area, were also available to guide the arriving vessels through the inlet to an anchorage area to offload their cargo into a lightering vessel or to a warehouse. Pilots could be self-employed free residents or they could be experienced enslaved watermen whose services could be hired. Trade through Ocracoke Inlet not only handled cargoes such as naval stores (pitch, tar, rosin, turpentine), and cotton, corn and preserved fish, but also was a part of the triangular trade from Africa to the Carribbean and North America. For more information on how Portsmouth and the Port of Ocracoke fit into this trade see Portsmouth and Transatlantic Human Trade

As late as 1842, over 1,400 vessels and two-thirds of North Carolina's exports passed through Ocracoke Inlet.

But, barrier islands are constantly changing and the growing shoals (shallow areas) in Ocracoke Inlet made passage more difficult. Around the same time, an inlet was opened near Hatteras by an 1846 hurricane. This deeper inlet drew shipping routes and the trade through at Ocracoke Inlet declined.

In addition to the shifting sands, trade in general was shifting as the railroad allowed more and more goods to be transported by land instead of by sea. Portsmouth's days as a commercial center were drawing to a close.

As the Union Army advanced down the Outer Banks in the early 1860s, residents of Portsmouth fled for the mainland. Many residents chose not to return after the war.

For the islanders that remained, fishing replaced shipping as the primary occupation. In 1894, a United States Life Saving Station was established in the village and, for nearly 50 years, the Service played a vital role in the community. But, isolation, a depressed economy, and the destruction caused by hurricanes added to the continued decline in population.

With the death of Henry Pigott in early 1971, the last two residents of Portsmouth—Elma Dixon and Marian Babb—reluctantly left for the mainland.

Today the Portsmouth story continues. In 1976, with the establishment of Cape Lookout National Seashore, a new life came to Portsmouth Village. The 250-acre historic district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places which recognizes outstanding buildings and districts throughout the United States.

As you walk down the lanes and trails of Portsmouth, you will get a glimpse of a typical Outer Banks village. Buildings will tell us much if we care to listen to them. Modest houses speak of a working class community.

For more information on planning a trip to the historic village, view the Visiting Portsmouth Village webpage .

The newly established United States of America relied heavily on the shipping trade and maritime defenses. The health of mariners was a significant concern. Congress established the Marine Hospital Service in 1798 to provide medical care for sick and disabled mariners. The Service also rented or built hospitals in American ports to meet this need. This organization was responsible for the health of seamen until 1902, eventually becoming the Public Health Service. More information can be found on the Public Health Service's history webpages .

Shortly after the service was established, plans were made to establish a Port of Entry on Shell Castle Island or Beacon Island in Ocracoke Inlet. In 1799, Oliver Wolcott, Jr. recommended Captain James Taylor for the duty of Collector of Customs upon completion of the Port of Ocracoke. Many of the collectors at this port resided in Portsmouth. Originally, the hospital at for this Port of Entry operated in a rented, two-room house. The quarters were inadequate. At one point, 17 seriously ill mariners were quartered in a boathouse because there was no other room.

The Portsmouth Marine Hospital was a two-story building with large porches on both levels. Each of the 16 rooms had its own fireplace and two to four windows. Even the physician was able to have his own room.

Unfortunately, trade through Ocracoke Inlet diminished after a hurricane opened Hatteras Inlet in 1847. In the 1850s, Congress began plans to move the state's primary Marine Hospital to Wilmington and discussed the future of the hospital at Portsmouth. However, another issue overshadowed these plans: the nation went to war.

During the Civil War, the Portsmouth Marine Hospital had another purpose. It was the base and barracks for Confederate troops in the village. This camp, called Camp Washington, and Fort Ocracoke on Beacon Island were strategically positioned to defend Ocracoke Inlet.

When the Tar River Boys mutinied in the summer of 1861, they barricaded themselves in the hospital. They eventually surrendered--but only after the commanders at Fort Ocracoke and on the CSS Edwards , anchored near Ocracoke Inlet, turned their weapons towards the hospital.

Camp Washington was abandoned by Confederate troops in August of 1861. Records indicate that the hospital was used by Union troops following this evacuation, but it is unclear exactly how long they used the hospital. However, a letter by Union Brigadier-General Innis N. Palmer, written in 1964, suggests that the encampments at Ocracoke Inlet were not being used by the Union at that time.

Shipping through Ocracoke Inlet continued to decline following the war. With fewer sailors entering the port, the need for a marine hospital diminished. The hospital had closed by 1872.

The building, however, continued to be used by the community. The U.S. Army Signal Service used a part of the building as a weather observation and telegraph station during the 1880s. Community dances were held in the building and it sometimes served as emergency housing.

The Portsmouth Marine Hospital burned down in 1894. Today, all that remains of North Carolina's first hospital building is the masonry cistern and a few other fragments of brickwork nearby.

Many of the features which define the Class Aves aid flight. Feathers, shortened tails (excluding tail feathers), and hollow bones all work to make the bird lighter or more aerodynamic to reduce the amount of energy needed to lift the animal's weight off the ground.

It is estimated that there are over 9,000 living species of birds in the world. More than 250 species have be found within Cape Lookout National Seashore during various seasons. A select few of these birds are listed below. For a more complete list, read the park's Bird Checklist brochure (pdf, 119 Kb). Note: We’re sorry, but this publication file is being updated and is not currently available. We will repost it soon. Contact us for more information.

The park tracks the population levels of several special interest bird species. The annual reports for these monitoring efforts can be found on the Wildlife Management page.

Interestingly, the head of these birds changes colors with the seasons: it is solid black in the summer and white in the winter. One of the most commonly seen birds, Laughing Gulls are notorious beggars. However, feeding wild gulls makes them aggressively seek food from humans and they begin to bite, scratch, and steal food. It also allows them to reproduce more and, since gulls are natural predators of smaller birds, larger gull populations reduce the numbers of other birds--including some endangered and threatened species.

Piping Plovers will only nest above the high tide line on sandy beaches or on flat spaces between dunes. Because their available habitat decreases as beaches are developed, the piping plover is threatened with extinction. Their pale sand-colored feathers and small size make it easy for them to hide from predators--but it also makes the more vulnerable to vehicles driving along the beach. Learn more about the Piping Plover...

Wilson's plovers are easily distinguished by their long, black bills which are more than half as long as their heads. These are particularly solitary plovers, but they take great care to guard their nests. One way that these plovers, and other related birds, guard their eggs is by feigning injury to distract predators. The bird in the picture to the left is pretending to have broken its right wing in order to lure a predator away from its nest.

Known for its bright orange bill and red-ringed, yellow eyes, the American Oystercatcher is so named because feeds on oysters and other mollusks which live in the mud in intertidal zones. Oystercatchers prefer undeveloped islands with few people nearby. Because of this, these birds are used as indicators of the overall health of an island. For more information, watch the podcast on American Oystercatchers .

This small (approximately 2 feet tall) bird is heron which can be distinguished by its black bill, black legs with yellow feet, and snowy white plumage. The feathers of these birds were popular ornaments on hats in the late 19th and early 20th centuries and, as a result, they were nearly hunted to extinction. The population has recovered significantly, but the Snowy Egret remains a species of special concern in North Carolina.

In the area near Portsmouth Village at Cape Lookout National Seashore, much of the land is awash at high tide; only a few areas support significant amounts vegetation.

However, scattered groves of trees can be found on other parts of Core Banks and particularly at Guthries Hammock. The Cape Lookout Bight area and Shackleford Banks have large dunes which can protect vegetation from the damages of the ocean's salt spray. Thanks partially to these dunes, Shackleford Banks boasts the most extensive maritime forest in the park.

Vines are abundant in the maritime forest and are at war with the trees. The changing geography of the island produces the strange and beautiful "ghost forests" on the ocean side of the groves as trees that are killed by advancing sand and salt spray leave their sun-bleached skeletons protruding from the sand.

Only the most tenacious plants can survive the scorching sun, water-starved sand, and storm force winds. Despite the harsh living conditions, marsh pinks, firewheels, purple needlegrass, and other wildflowers and flowering grasses continue to bring color to the islands.

Dune grasses are, however, the most important plants found in the park. The root systems of these grasses are essential to the health of the islands. As wind and waves move sand around, these grasses trap and hold the sand allowing the dunes to build which protect other plant life and ecosystems from the damaging effects of salt spray. If these plants were removed, the sands in the existing dunes would quickly blow away leaving a flattened, more vulnerable island in its place.

This is why sea oats, one of the primary dune building grasses, are protected by federal law: they can not be broken, pulled or dug up, or otherwise damaged by people or pets.

Birds are the most easily observed animals in the park. Spring and Fall migration brings a number of different species through the park. Stormy weather can drive a few pelagic birds in from the open ocean for a visit. In summer, a number of tern species, egrets, black skimmers, herons, piping plovers and other shorebirds nest within the park's boundaries.

Mammals are uncommon on the islands; rice rats, rabbits, river otters, and raccoons are some of the native species found here. On Shackleford Banks is a population of horses that has gone wild and adapted to their environment over the past few hundred years.

Although salt and brackish water environments dominate the islands, a few fresh water habitats support tree frogs and Fowler's toads. While diamond-back terrapins prefer the salt marsh areas, the grasslands are the preferred habitat for five-lined racerunner lizards and black racer snakes.

The waters surrounding the park are feeding grounds for marine mammals and sea turtles, the largest reptiles in our park. Four sea turtle species--Loggerhead, Green, Kemp's Ridley, and Leatherback--are sometimes seen feeding in area waters. Only the Loggerhead sea turtle regularly nests on the park's beaches during the summer months. The others are found only as juveniles or are just passing through.

These species lists have been compiled based on in field observations, specimen collections, and literary records. They are the most complete records we have available at this time. Note: We’re sorry, but the publication files are being updated and are not currently available. We will repost them soon. Contact us for more information.

The environmental factors which affect the plants, animals, and islands of Cape Lookout include everything from the natural influences of weather and animal grazing to human effects like litter and destruction of dunes.

Some of the effects of these environmental factors are easily visible (like the opening of a new inlet by a storm) while others (such as changes to the location of the islands) are very slow processes which can not be seen with the naked eye.

The most dramatic changes are brought about by hurricanes and other storm force winds. The winds which accompany these storms blow sands down the shoreline and blow waves across the island, carrying sands with them. These storms can open inlets, erode beaches, and build up the marshes on the soundside of the island.

However, the wind and waves do not need storms to reshape an island. The gradual migration of sand as it is blown by winds and carried by waves constantly alters the shape and location of barrier islands in such a way that the passage of a few decades, even with few or small-scale storms, can radically alter the landscape.

An example of this change can be seen in the image above. (Note: the red line marks the location of the shoreline in 2006 at high tide and the circles indicate the mile markers for mile 10 and mile 11. The lighter areas represent higher elevations while the darker areas indicate lower elevation, water, or vegetation.)

Herbivores graze on the dune stabilizing grasses. Plants and animals compete for limited resources--such as food, water, and territory.

Balancing this impact is important to the health of these islands. The park works to ensure that the non-native species do not do permanent harm to the native species or landscape and to protect endangered and threatened species from excessive predation and competition.

In the case of the Shackleford horse herd, the impact of these non-native animals is recorded and controlled. The herd size is limited through the use of contraceptives and the removal of selected young horses. This helps prevent the horses from over-grazing and causing lasting damage to the island, their own food supply, and the food supply of the other animals which live on Shackleford Banks. For more information, read the Horses of Shackleford Banks webpage .

Cape Lookout National Seashore is a low, narrow, ribbon of sand running from Ocracoke Inlet on the northeast to Beaufort Inlet on the southwest. These barrier islands-56 miles long-consist mostly of wide, bare beaches with low dunes covered by scattered grasses, flat grasslands bordered by dense vegetation, and large expanses of salt marsh alongside the sound.

Worn smooth by the ceaseless movement of the ocean, the beach is a popular spot for sunbathing, fishing, camping, and shelling.

Although they may look flat and barren, beaches provide vital nesting and feeding grounds for birds and sea turtles.

Sand dunes, found adjacent to the beach, protect the interior of the island from much of the damages of wind and waves.

The grasses on these dunes are among the most important species on the island because their root systems stabilize the dunes, allowing them to build and grow. Some birds use this area as nesting and feeding grounds and lizards, snakes, and nutria can all be found in the section of the island.

This relatively flat section of the barrier island can be found leeward of the primary and secondary dunes. Although it is somewhat protected by the dunes, large storms or heavy rains often bring salt water to this area, limiting the ability of woody vegetation to survive. This area may eventually become the site of new dunes.

Many small birds and reptiles can be found in this area as well as wild horses, nutria, raccoons, and other terrestrial mammals.

Protected from saltspray and storms by the dunes, forested areas can sometimes be found between the marshes and the dune line. The forest on South Core Banks, however, is not a true--naturally occurring--maritime forest. Only Shackleford Banks and Harkers Island contain true maritime forests.

Some mammals will give birth to developed young, others will give birth to live young which they nurse in pouches until they develop, and some will lay eggs. The presence of body hair and the ability of mammal mothers to produce milk to feed their young are two of the defining characteristics of this class of vertebrates. Mammals are also the only animals to hear with the help of three bones in their middle ears: the malleus, incus, and stapes. These animals are warm-blooded so many of the calories they consume in their diet go towards maintaining their body temperature.

Members of the Class Mammalia range in size from the Kitti's Hog-Nosed Bat ( Craseonycteris thonglongyai ) which weighs less than a penny to the Blue Whale ( Balaenoptera musculus ) which weighs about 160,000 kg--roughly equal to 70 midsized cars.

Dolphins, whales, rodents, deer, and, of course, the wild horses of Shackleford Banks can all be found in and around Cape Lookout National Seashore. The park monitors the Shackleford horse population and other special interest species. The annual reports for these monitoring efforts can be found on the Wildlife Management page.

For more complete lists of the mammals found in this park, download the CALO Terrestrial Mammal Species List (pdf, 15 Kb) and the CALO Marine Mammal Species List (pdf, 42 Kb).

Cape Lookout protects one of the last remaining herds of wild horses on the eastern coast. Although somewhat short for horses--closer to the size of ponies--their stature is most likely a result of their diet. The park controls the population of this non-native species but does not feed, water, or vaccinate them. The horses' diet consists primarily of four grasses on the island: centipede grass, smooth cordgrass, saltmeadow cordgrass, and sea oats. More information is available on the Horses page .

Bottlenose Dolphins are the most frequently sighted toothed whales in this area. These dolphins are relatively robust animals and can grow to 8-12 feet in length and weigh between 500 and 1000 pounds. They are light gray on their underbellies and darker gray on their dorsal side. Bottlenose Dolphins are carnivorous, typically feeding on fish and some crustaceans. Though they generally hunt alone, these dolphins occasionally work together to capture prey.

Marsh Rabbits are about 14 to 16 inches long and weigh 2.5 to 3.5 pounds. The ears, head, tail, and legs of this rabbit are all smaller than those of many other rabbit species. It is also the only member of the genus Sylvilagus with a tail that is not white on the underside. The Marsh Rabbit prefers undisturbed marshland and is an exceptionally good swimmer.

These rodents may be best described as beavers with rats' tails. Like beavers, they have webbed hind-feet and long orange teeth which grow rapidly as they wear them down eating. Nutria are herbivores, but can be very aggressive if they feel threatened so it is best not to approach them. Originally from South America, the nutria is a non-native species which was likely introduced into this area to fuel the fur trade.

Each of these ecosystems supports its own distinct set of flora and fauna .

The softwood forest in the lighthouse area on South Core Banks was planted by volunteers from the Boy Scouts in 1950s and 1960s. Still, it provides a view of the plant and animal life found in the forest section of a natural barrier island.

The forest is a prime spot to find many biting insects including ticks and mosquitoes. Raccoons, snakes, lizards, nutria, and several species of birds are also found in these forests and, on Shackleford Banks, horses can sometimes be found among the trees.

Lying closest to the sound--the body of water between a barrier island and the mainland--the salt marsh is one of the most diverse ecosystems on an island.

The marsh grasses (many of which belong to the Spartina genus) provide food for many insects as well as the Shackleford horses. In the late fall, the grasses begin to die and turn brown. As the dead plant material is broken down by bacteria, fungi, and algae, it becomes a source of food for the crabs, shrimp, fish, and other bottom-dwelling organisms.

The salt marsh is also a vital nursery for many species of fish and crustaceans. Food is abundant and young animals are able to hide from predators in the grasses.

Many species of birds can be found in the marsh feeding on the insects, fish, crabs, and other invertebrates that live there.

The park podcasts also provide information on a few specific bird populations.

The Osprey's diet is composed almost entirely of live fish. Unlike other raptors, the Osprey can become completely submerged under water as it dives to catch a fish and still be able to fly off with the prey. The species name comes from the combination of the Greek words "halos" (meaning "salt" and used to relate to the sea) and "aetos" (meaning "eagle"). Unsurprisingly, these birds are found near water.

This relative of gulls and terns is easily recognized by its black and reddish-orange bill with a lower mandible (jaw) which sticks out farther than the upper mandible. The Skimmer uses this long, scissor-like bill to skim the water's surface for small fish and crustaceans. Like many other colonial nesting birds, Black Skimmers prefer to nest on uninhabited beaches or dredge spoil islands.

This small perching bird is 4 - 5.5 inches in length with an average wingspan of about 6 inches. Males migrate to breeding territories before females and begin singing and building nests to attract a mate, or two. Like other wrens, the Marsh Wren often perches and sings with its tail held upright (as seen in the photo to the left). A female may choose to modify and use one of the nests built by the male she selects or, more often, she may build her own nest.

This is the only species of pelican which dives into the water (instead of skimming) to catch prey. Air sacs in their chests protect them from the impact of the crash landing in the water. This bird can hold 2 to 3 times more food and water in its bill pouch than in its stomach. The pelican must tilt its head forward to drain the water out of the pouch before it can swallow the food. For more information on local pelicans, watch the park's pelican podcast .

The mature White Ibis has a bright red face and bill, white body, and black wingtips. The ibis's curved bill allows it to probe the ground--typically along the shoreline or in grassy fields or wetlands--for insects and aquatic crustaceans, such as crayfish. White Ibis are highly social birds: feeding, flying, and nesting in groups. And, groups of these birds can often be seen perched in trees on Harkers Island and throughout the park.

Though they have similar patterns and coloration in their plumage, female Willets are slightly larger than males. Their young are precocial (relatively mature from birth) and are capable of feeding themselves 24 hours after they hatch. The pair will stay with the young for about 2 to 3 weeks, until the female leaves for the winter feeding grounds. When the chicks are approximately 4 weeks old, the male departs as well. A week or so later, the chicks are ready to migrate. This migration can occur as early as June.

As its name suggests, the Least Tern is the smallest of the North American gulls and terns. Nevertheless, these terns will aggressively protect their territory and their offspring by calling alarms and diving at the intruder, sometimes defecating as they pass over the target. For more information on local tern populations, watch the park's Royal and Sandwich Tern podcast .