Newspapers / The Chowan Herald (Edenton, … / May 9, 2012, edition 1 / Page 3
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Lighthouse Continued from Page 1A ered with red, green and blue lenses hung 43 feet above and were visible for 13 miles. At the time, there was no screw-pile technology to build lighthouses over fwater. ! Pear that the lightships would aid the enemy dur ing the Civil War the ves sels were removed. By the -end of the war, all of the lightships had been de stroyed, Eure said, f Then, in 1866, came the first lighthouse erected bver water in the Roanoke River. But, a fire destroyed the original lighthouse ;in 1885. A replica of that house sits on land as a historical exhibit in Plym 'outh, Eure added. Plans next called for a hewly constructed light house intended for the Croatan Sound to replace the Roanoke River burned structure. Only this time ice caused the lighthouse to topple into the water. ■* In 1886, the current Roa noke River Lighthouse was built and lit a year later. Manned by two keep ers, it became fully opera tional. They used whale oil to fuel its lights and collected rainwater for their freshwater use. “They had to operate a place to live and work,” Eure said. While under the author ity of the U.S. Coast Guard, ■ the Roanoke River Light house was decommis sioned in 1941. After that, the Lighthouse sat dor mant. By 1955, there were only three lighthouses left in area sounds. Instead of an original objective to aid vessels, the Coast Guard deemed the watery structures a hazard and ordered them removed or destroyed, Eure said. Elijah Tate purchased the three remaining light house for $10 apiece. Dur ing his efforts to move the lighthouses two toppled •into the water. Only the Roanoke River Lighthouse remained, but with time running out on Tate’s commission that would result in financial penalty, he sold the structure to Emmett Wiggins, a World War II U.S. Navy engineer captain and underwater salvager, Eure said. Part of a remarkable feat, Wiggins successfully disconnected the Light house from its screw pil ings in preparation to boat it across the Albemarle Sound. It took 36 hours to bring it across the Sound and to the mouth of Fil bert’s Creek where it had no land access. Eure recounted an old newspaper clipping that detailed Wiggins’ trans port. “When he brought the Lighthouse to the dock, it wouldn’t have caused any more excitement than if the president was drown ing in Edenton Bay,” Eure recalled. Wiggins first leased the Lighthouse out before moving into it in 1960 as ,his primary residence un til his death in 1995. Plan A Gives you the lowest copayment options • $15 for primary care physician visits' • $10 for generic prescriptions' Plan B Keeps your rponthly premiums lower • Convenient copayments for doctor visits,' emergency room services and prescription drugs' PlanC Gives you the lowest monthly premium • Different options for deductibles Authorized Agent Wallace Evans 252-482-2673 BlueCroM BlueShleld of North Carolina h you awif'ieV I riMWwr iwiu tr*)M m ** . _ y to* ari Wf*/ took at '**-»*• __ !«d and mm f nwf*jK) cwrima*rnrumf+fvit itrwtiwsr tt e (tw iefiptort V Amir'* efiri'V. -renwn Su*oC* „Wjj( fta ofrrttn/ IW.-'V) M JF|.1, It/> V* • ■Supers '* tw 3/ **rrb** * tA-"« utttnf ur *» . • ■' ner.tw of' dtot# «Hiwr|«i -Arfyoitc/il Vytf' ■ QfC J*VaW l»» tV&M <***& » «WS*W v t»s«e ufrvitn«ruWApwi t*»4-w*io>jW* ... msssaafl PHOTO BY KIP SHAW A look from below shows the intimidating height of the light house. “The Phonebook listed his address as the Light house,” Eure added. The Lighthouse was missing its original Fres hel lens and bell when Wig gins assumed ownership. Although no one knew of the whereabouts of the original items, the town of Edenton helped secure replacements and loaned them to Wiggins with the understanding the town retained ownership. Today, the bell, cast in 1901 by the McShane Foundry in Baltimore, sits as a monument at Queen Anne’s Park. It was oper ated by a weighted mecha nism similar to a grandfa ther clock. , The substituted lens was original to the de funct Holland Island Bar Lighthouse, of Maryland. It remains in storage and could eventually be up fitted during the interior restoration. Upon Wiggins’ death, his son unsuccessfully completed a sale of the Lighthouse as a potential Bed & Breakfast or tavern due to permitting issues, Eure said. The Edenton Historical Commission next wanted to buy the Lighthouse, but had no money. With the help of a $300,000 grant courtesy of the General Assembly, the Lighthouse officially became the property of the Edenton Historical Commission in May 2007. Shortly thereaf ter, it was moved to Colo nial Park, Eyre said. The Lighthouse costs $225,000 with the remain ing $75,000 used to cover its relocation. It was later gifted to the state in 2008. Federal stimulus dollars covered the Lighthouse’s exterior makeover. Al though plans called for the Lighthouse to remain, as Inside the Chowan Medical Center rssar 70 years of I FREE Hearing Exams • FREE One-Week Trial hearing care. | 30 Day Money Back Guarantee FREE Lifetime Service Adjustments A crew prepares to move the lighthouse last Tuesday. PHOTO BY KIP SHAW a land exhibit there, soil contamination prompted changes. It was decided to move the Lighthouse back over water and at its current site. The watery reloca tion costs an additional $271,000. But, there’s more to do before the project is completed. Plans call for a ramp that will allow visitors to walk onto the Lighthouse. An interior restoration remains among the next phases, which calls for an other $454,000. State bud get shortfalls remain the next hurdle. “We’re all sitting with our fingers crossed that the money comes in,” Eure said. “Once the ramp is built, we can start giv ing tours.” Meanwhile, the Edehton Historical Commission is collecting furnishings that will be used for the interior restoration. The Lighthouse joins the James Iredell House, Historic Edenton Visitors Center and the 1767 Chow an Courthouse as part of the town’s historic sites governed by the state. Silaer T<&x> af -ti’ertfartl Jewerly and fine Gifts 116 W. Market St. Hertford, 426-1419 MOTHERS DAY SALE 40% OFF select items Gift Items $29 and up Kameleon- Buy one get one 25% OFF I mm. Hertford - pillows, flags & novelties |y§4 | The Nixon Family, Kathie, and { | all the staff at Nixon’s Restaurant j in Rocky Hock want to wish all f our Mother’s in Chowan County 1 and surrounding areas a Dine wWh us at NOW STOCKING INSULATED COOLERS
The Chowan Herald (Edenton, N.C.)
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May 9, 2012, edition 1
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