Ocracoke Lighthouse
The oldest lighthouse still in operation in North Carolina, and one of the oldest on the Eastern coast of the United States, it was built by Noah Porter for $11,359.35 in 1823. At seventy-five feet, it is the shortest lighthouse on the North Carolina Coast and can be only be seen for 14 miles. Situated on one of Ocracoke Island’s highest spots, it has survived numerous hurricanes. The Hurricane of 1944 was one of the worst with water flooding the entire island and some homes having 25-30 inches in them. Water lapped against the doorstep of the lighthouse and was seven inches deep in the keeper's house.