The Cape Lookout Lighthouse

2024…another year when the Cape Lookout Lighthouse, located at the most southern point in the beautiful Outer Banks and Crystal Coast of North Carolina, will be closed to the public for climbing, the Lightkeeper’s House, located directly in front of the Lighthouse is open.

That house however was not the original Lightkeeper’s House. Interestingly, the Lighthouse as we know it today also was not the original Cape Lookout Lighthouse!

The First Lightkeeper's Quarters was built in 1812. This Keeper's Quarters was built at the same time as the first Cape Lookout lighthouse. The house was to be 24 feet by 24 feet and one and a half stories tall. Each of the three rooms had a fireplace which fed into the chimney in the center of the house. The exterior was made of pine and covered with pine or cedar shingles. In 1869, this house received extensive repairs.

A kitchen was to be built at least 6 feet away from the house and connected with a covered walkway. The proposal request indicated that this kitchen should be 14 feet by 16 feet and one-story tall. A well was also part of this request.

It is unknown how long these structures remained standing. Photographic records indicate that the Keeper's Quarters remained standing at least until 1893. Part of the foundation of this dwelling can be seen on a sand dune in the lighthouse area. Sadly, the structure was destroyed.

The Second Keeper's Quarters, the one that we know today, was built in 1873. Soon after the second Cape Lookout lighthouse was completed, Assistant Keepers were assigned to the station. A new Keepers' Quarters was built in 1873 to accommodate these keepers. The house was designed as a single-family residence, but by the early 1900s, all three keepers were living in this building. In response to complaints that their families could not be with them, a new Head Keeper's Quarters was built in 1907. The two Assistant Keepers and their families then shared the 1873 dwelling.

Today, this Keepers' Quarters serves as a museum, giving visitors a glimpse into the lives of Lighthouse Keepers and Surfmen of the US Life-Saving Service, now the US Coast Guard. The museum is open from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, seven days a week during the spring, summer, and fall.

H2O Captain Eco-Tour Private Boat Excursions offers journeys from Morehead City to the Lighthouse across the North Atlantic Ocean. As the sole powerboat operator authorized by the National Park Service for this route, Captain Mark will guide you to anchor near the beach by the Lightkeeper’s house. From there, he'll lead you ashore, providing a guided tour of the Lighthouse and its surroundings.

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