Bald Head Island has been home to two separate lighthouses. Neither is in use now, though. The new sentry over the Cape Fear River is Oak Island. Located near a Coast Guard station, this tri-colored lighthouse is still in service today, It is one of two in-service lighthouses that does not use a black-and-white pattern on the NC coast, opting instead for three different colors of concrete.
Lighthouses were one of the few ways to safely guide people throughout North Carolina's treacherous waterways. From the lethal shores of the Outer Banks to the Graveyard of the Atlantic, to the freshwater rivers, North Carolian claimed many ships and boats. Roanoke River Light is one such lighthouse. Originally a lightship, several lighthouses were built over the years. The current light was built in 1887, and was moved to a new location in 1955. In 2007 it was moved again to its current location in Edenton, NC.
