In 1971 it was back to earth moving, when two hundred thousand cubic yards of sand were moved from the Cape Hatteras Point to the beach by the lighthouse. In 1973, and additional 1.3 million cubic yards were added. By this time, the ocean waves were back to within 175 feet of the ruins of the original lighthouse, located only 600 feet from its "little" brother. The ocean finally reached the ruins in 1978 and began to slowly wear away the sandstone foundation. They would be washed away in 1980 when Mother Nature unleashed a freak March blizzard on the Outer Banks.
The Cape Hatteras Lighthouse did not escape that March without a scratch. The blizzard forced ocean water around and behind the anchor point of the southern most groin, which was the closest to the lighthouse. With this intrusion, high tide waves were able to flow in behind the steel and get to the much softer sand dunes. Every wave took more sand off the beach. As an emergency measure, rubble was placed as a substitute for the dunes in October. November saw the extension of southern groin by 150 feet. Mother Nature saw to it that the waters washed around the end of the newly extended groin one month later. Ocean waters reached within 50 feet of the base. A second emergency protection project was able to extend this to 100 feet by the end of the year.
By nature, humans are creative. The early 1980's saw several creative, but futile, attempts to protect the shoreline. In 1981, seascapes were dropped offshore in shallow water. Hollow gravel-filled tubes, they are designed to catch and hold sand particles suspended in the water. By doing this, a sandbar is created, helping to protect and build the beach. More rubble, two separate 150 foot groin extensions, 700 additional sandbags, and 5,000 units of seascape placed in late 1981 and 1982 still did not prove enough to protect the lighthouse. The Corps of Engineers played their part, designing a scour protection mat to enhance the southern groin and prevent additional ocean flanking. By the end of 1983, studies were being conducted on the feasibility of placing a seawall to encircle the lighthouse.
Even with all of the protective measures, the lighthouse was only 120 feet from the ocean by 1987. Originally, it had stood inland 1,500 feet. The “Move the Lighthouse Committee” secured funding and presented documentation for relocation, which relied heavily on technology not previously available. A year later, the final decision was made: The lighthouse should be moved.
The moved was mapped out, and the final sight was being developed. In 1990 and 1991, the structural integrity of the building was repaired, allowing it to withstand the rigors of being moved. Meanwhile, sandbags were put in place for temporary protection. This would occur again in 1994 after Hurricane Gordon passes within 100 miles of the Cape Hatteras area, and again in 1996 to prevent further erosion that would make the move impossible.
On June 17th, 1999, the time for the move had come. Eight hundred tons of granite base were replaced with steel support towers and hydraulic jacks. The jacks lifted the structure six feet, allowing addition steel support beams to be installed as a temporary foundation. The sand of the beach was compacted and covered with crushed stone. Steel mats were then placed to form a temporary roadway for the lighthouse to move across. Five additional hydraulic jacks were uses to propel the lighthouse inch by inch toward its new home. The tower moved at less than 10 feet per hour. Once it arrived, it was lowered onto a new concrete foundation.
The Lighthouse was moved 2,900 feet. It arrived on July 9th, three weeks ahead of schedule. The move was named the 2000 Outstanding Civil Engineering Achievement by the American Society of Civil Engineers. More importantly, it seems to have even impressed Mother Nature… for now.
Still operated by the National Park Service and maintained by the U.S. Coast Guard, the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse is open for climbing most of the year. Note that children fewer than 42 inches tall will not be allowed to climb the lighthouse, even with parental supervision. Be prepared for a workout, as the 248 spiral stairs equate to climbing a 12-story building with no air conditioning. In short, it is hot, humid, dim, and quite noisy. If you can make it, the view is well worth the effort. For more information, contact the National Park Service at 252-473-2111 or visit them on the web at National Park Service website.
Don't be afraid. It's only 248 steps to the top. Then you can say, with pride, that you've climbed the tallest.
