COROLLA, N.C. — The Outer Banks is known for being the graveyard of the Atlantic Ocean, and lighthouses played a pivotal role in maritime history. Currituck County's America 250 NC Task Force is now encouraging neighbors and visitors to get out and learn about the longtime history of 10 lighthouses on the North Carolina coast.
"I looked at just how important they were, and then I learned more about the keepers. They're an incredible group of people, both male and female, and it's a story that I think is great to preserve, because when the towers go there won't be a lot of reminders of what used to be," said Tony Cerri, the statewide coordinator for Currituck County's A250 celebration.
Cerri shares that's where much of the inspiration came from for the committee to start NC's Lighthouse Challenge in honor of America's 250th anniversary.
"I'm a docent at this particular lighthouse. But working here, I came to understand just how important lighthouses were to America's growth," said Cerri.
The challenge is simple: visit all 10 lighthouses by the end of the year, five of which you can find on the Outer Banks. You don't have to climb each one, but you need to take a picture of yourself on site and send it in to the organizers.
"What it means to me, I imagine, is what it means to everyone else who walks on site, which is, wow, right? Wow, look at this lighthouse. How did this stand through the test of time? Why is it so beautiful? And can I see the ocean?" said Meghan Agresto, site manager of the Currituck Beach Lighthouse and one of the two on-site lightkeepers.
Those questions are what this challenge is all about: learning more about the structures and the people who made it all possible in our country's history.
"I've tried to come up with an equivalent in today's life, and it would be the air traffic controller. Goods in the day, all move by ship, big goods, people, whatever. The lighthouses kept them safe. Without the lighthouses, you were going to have shipwrecks, and we had many here in the Graveyard of the Atlantic. Just like the air traffic controller does today, nothing that moves by air isn't touched by an ATC, nothing that moved by ship wasn't touched by lighthouses," said Cerri.
News 3 even got to speak to a few first-time climbers of the Currituck Beach Lighthouse who shared what brought them here.
"I think I've just always been interested in lighthouses my whole life, and just really interested in the history, and it's just really great that we're able to climb it and have access to it," said Katherine Berg, who was visiting from Ohio.
Once you complete all 10 visits and submit your photos, you'll earn:
- A personalized commemorative certificate
- Recognition on the official achiever's list
- A free lighthouse climb
Cerri says he's already seen quite a response since the challenge kicked off in April.
"I have been pleasantly surprised. We're in the multiple hundreds, and we've only been doing this since the beginning of April. There are people out there who have let me know that they are intending to climb all 10," said Cerri.
The 10 lighthouses include:
- Oak Island
- Old Baldy
- Cape Lookout
- Ocracoke
- Cape Hatteras
- Bodie Island
- Currituck Beach (Corolla)
- Roanoke River Lighthouse (Edenton)
- Roanoke River Lighthouse Replica (Plymouth)
- Roanoke River Marshes Lighthouse Replica (Manteo)
The link to sign-up for the challenge is here and will also include even more education about the lighthouses.
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