Nantucket Sconset Sankaty Lighthouse Marshall Gardiner Real Photo Postcard
The Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, located on Hatteras Island in North Carolina's Outer Banks, is the tallest brick lighthouse in North America, standing 207 feet. Completed in 1870 with its distinctive black and white spiral daymark, it replaced an earlier 1803 structure. Its primary function was to illuminate the treacherous Diamond Shoals, a notorious sandbar area known as the "Graveyard of the Atlantic," guiding ships along the vital Atlantic seaboard.
This beacon played a critical role in maritime navigation for over a century, marking a key shipping lane for both commercial and naval vessels during the late 19th and 20th centuries. Due to severe coastal erosion threatening its foundation, the entire 4,830-ton structure was successfully moved 2,900 feet inland in 1999, an unprecedented feat of engineering that underscored its enduring historical significance and the ongoing challenges of maintaining coastal landmarks.
This beacon played a critical role in maritime navigation for over a century, marking a key shipping lane for both commercial and naval vessels during the late 19th and 20th centuries. Due to severe coastal erosion threatening its foundation, the entire 4,830-ton structure was successfully moved 2,900 feet inland in 1999, an unprecedented feat of engineering that underscored its enduring historical significance and the ongoing challenges of maintaining coastal landmarks.
