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Scroll down to the bottom of the story for captions and links for these photographs.
For further information contact:
Cheryl Shelton-Roberts of Outer Banks Lighthouse Society at 252-504-8024 or 252-247-5436
Tim Harrison of American Lighthouse Foundation at 207-646-0515 or 207-676-3131 or cell ph# 207-284-3189
Lynn Jennette of Outer Banks Lighthouse Society at 252-995-6891
A New National Memorial
Few Americans know about the history of the United States Lighthouse Service, which was created as the first public works act of the first Congress of the United States in 1789, and was dissolved 200 years later in 1939 under orders of President Franklin Roosevelt. Even fewer Americans know the stories of the men and women who maintained these lighthouses, under military guidelines as civilian employees, and the hardships they endured or their acts of heroism.
The memory of some of these keepers will now be memorialized forever in a circle of granite stones, which were once the base of America’s tallest lighthouse at Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. As part of an epic weekend ceremony that kicks off this Friday, May 4th at 3pm, the granite blocks, newly engraved with the names of the eight-three keepers of the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, will be unveiled and dedicated on this National Landmark site.
In 1999 when the Cape Hatteras Lighthouses was saved by moving it from the eroding shoreline it became the tallest structure of its kind in the world to ever be moved by man, a historic event in itself. The granite blocks of the original foundation were left to mark the original site.
Now through the efforts of the Outer Banks Lighthouse Society, in cooperation with the National Park Service, the names of eighty-three of the keepers of Cape Hatteras Lighthouse Stations have been engraved into the granite blocks. This was done as a memorial to their service and dedication, at what is known as one of the most important aids to navigation in North America and one of the most recognizable lighthouses in the world.
On hand for the ceremony will be 1200 descendants of the past Cape Hatteras Lighthouse keepers, who have traveled from all over the United States to attend this official Hatteras Keepers Descendants Homecoming. This will be the largest gathering of lighthouse keeper descendants in American and perhaps world lighthouse history.
The descendants will also be on hand for the rededication of the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse at its new location and the official relighting of the lighthouse on Saturday night, May 5.
One of the two bagpipers, Dwayne Dickson, who will perform at the unveiling and dedication ceremony, is a descendant of Cape Hatteras Lighthouse keeper Benjamin T. Fulcher while The Reverend Roger Barnett, who will give the “Blessing of the Stones” is a descendant of lighthouse keeper Hezekiah Barnett. Descendants of the last Cape Hatteras lighthouse keeper, Unaka B. Jennette, will do the actual unveiling.
“These men’s names deserve to be remembered,” said Cheryl Shelton-Roberts, cofounder of the Outer Banks Lighthouse Society, which is the main sponsoring organization of the project. “When we stand in awe of the architecture of this magnificent lighthouse, the tallest in America, we should also remember the keepers and their families who worked as a team to keep the light station running in top condition while serving their fellow man and their country. When the United States Lighthouse Service was dissolved in 1939 and the Coast Guard took over its operations, its history became all but forgotten. We are saying, "We remember.”
Tim Harrison, president of the American Lighthouse Foundation, a non profit nationwide group dedicated to saving lighthouses and their history, who is traveling from Wells, Maine to be one of the principle speakers at the event, said, “Normally, the American Lighthouse Foundation only contributes funds for actual lighthouse restoration, lighthouse research or keeper gravesite restorations, however we felt this event was of such national historical significance that we needed to help support it.” Harrison, who is also the editor of the international magazine, Lighthouse Digest, went on to say, “This event is also important because many of the descendants have come forward with numerous historical photos and documents which had been lost or destroyed. These items need to be documented, written about and preserved and displayed for future generations to learn from.”
Harrison went on to say that some of the photographic history of Cape Hatteras Lighthouse still remains missing, such as photographs of the first Cape Hatteras tower which was built in 1803 and taken down after 1870, and the current 1870 tower before its distinctive black and white spiraling stripes were painted on it. Also missing are photographs of the early keepers. “These photographs are around somewhere,” said Harrison, “we’ve been looking for them for years, hopefully they’ll surface at this event.”
Harrison went on to say, “Since tens of thousands of Cape Hatteras fans, lighthouse aficionados and other descendants will not be able to attend the event, we created a special web site where we will be posting photographs, interviews and stories after the conclusion of each days events at www.LighthouseDigest.com/Hatteras.
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Harrison says that he will also make a proposal of national and historical importance during his Saturday welcoming address at the Lighthouse. But, he won’t reveal what saying; “I’m keeping it a secret until Saturday.”
The Friday ceremony will kick off a weekend of heritage programs for registered direct descendants of the Cape Hatteras keepers, which have been designed to honor the memory of the keepers, their families and other employees of the old U.S. Lighthouse Service. The oldest descendant attending the ceremonies is ninety-four years old and the youngest is three months.
The Official Welcoming will follow the Friday ceremonies on Saturday morning at 10am at the lighthouse, with the actual rededication taking place on Saturday night May 5 from 6 pm to 8pm. The lighthouse grounds and the ceremonies will be open to the public for the entire weekend; however, the keeper’s descendants will have reserved seating.
Media Photo Information: The best photo opportunities for the May 4 (Friday) 3pm ceremony will be from the sandy hill on the ocean side of the granite blocks of the original lighthouse foundation. From here you will be able to view all the ceremony, the engraved granite blocks, the robed choir, and the official unveiling with the Cape Hatteras lighthouse at its new location, all in one photograph. The Cape Hatteras Lighthouse is located in the Cape Hatteras National Seashore on the Outer Banks of North Carolina.
Tim Harrison, president of the American Lighthouse Foundation and editor of Lighthouse Digest will be available for media interviews on Friday, May 4, from 11am to 2pm at the Anglers Club in Buxton, North Carolina and again by the podium/stage area at the lighthouse after the 10am Welcoming Ceremony on Saturday May 5.
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Caption 1
Bruce Roberts, cofounder, Outer Banks Lighthouses, walks on the bricks of the old foundation of Cape Hatteras Lighthouse’s original site before it was moved and before the names of the past keepers were engraved on them. The granite blocks will be dedicated as a memorial on Friday, May 4. Photograph courtesy of Lighthouse Digest.
Photo By: Rick Poland
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Caption 2
Workmen at the site of the old foundation of Cape Hatteras Lighthouse engraving the names of past keepers of lighthouse. The stones will be dedicated as memorial on Friday, May 4th. Photograph courtesy of Lighthouse Digest.
Photo By: Bruce Roberts
Date Entered into online database: April 27, 2001
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