Commentary: The Preservation of American Treasures; What to do about the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse Lens

By John M. Havel

The following is a personal commentary by John M. Havel, who is a Cape Hatteras Lighthouse Researcher and a Board Member of the Outer Banks Lighthouse Society, on the future restoration of the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse. The lighthouse is undergoing a restoration, which includes the potential re-installment of the original 1850s Fresnel lens, or the installment of a handcrafted replica. (The original lens is currently on display at the Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum in Hatteras village, on loan from the National Park Service.)  A public comment period is currently open until October 17 for the three options for the lighthouse restoration project going forward.

Each of the American Treasures pictured above—as well as many others—are able to be restored, repaired, and reactivated into a useful functional life and purpose. There is no doubt that we have the technology to completely repair and make whole again the 1903 Wright Flyer that soared above the sands of the Outer Banks. Why shouldn’t this amazing machine be flown daily, or weekly, or monthly, so that visitors can experience first hand that incredible sense of history and discovery? But instead, it sits 300 miles north in a museum, nowhere near its place of glory nor anywhere near its inventors’ home in Dayton, Ohio.

Alternately, let’s look at the Liberty Bell. There is little doubt that modern machinists and metalworkers could repair that fateful and final crack – formed sometime in the early 1800s – and, once again, the historic bell could ring from the steeple of Independence Hall. What a joy that would be for Philadelphians and all Americans to hear this historic symbol peal once again throughout the land! But the legendary bell sits still and quiet in a shrine created for visitors to view it from a distance… silent.

And what about the Star-Spangled Banner? This incredible 30-by-40-foot flag once flew majestically over Fort McHenry during the War of 1812, and in 1814, inspired Francis Scott Key to write our national anthem. Again, there is no doubt that with modern technology and materials this amazing symbol of American history could be hoisted once more over the Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine. But once again, the banner lies dormant in a dimly-lit room, 50 miles south of the historic fort it was commissioned to fly over.

Ridiculous, you say? No comparison to the 1853 Fresnel lens of the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse? Please ask yourself thoughtfully why the Wright Flyer, the Liberty Bell, the Spirit of St. Louis, and so many other American Treasures have not been pressed back into service. Many of you—I hope—might say that it is obvious. They are far too historically valuable and fragile to be exposed to the wear and tear of routine use. They belong in museums or places where we can care for, admire, and learn from them.

ONE ALTERNATIVE BEING PROPOSED TODAY

And yet, one alternative being proposed today—with little hesitation by some—is to put back into DAILY service, 24/7, a 168-year old extraordinary invention of precision optics and machinery that is the only known and surviving first-order Fresnel lens of the first two purchased and brought to America (Please see the timeline below of the incredible history and journey of this priceless treasure, researched and documented in minute detail by North Carolina’s award-winning author and historian Kevin P. Duffus).

Additionally, experts who have experience with this lens have stated that as a result of 65 years of deterioration and wear plus the extreme damage inflicted during the aberrant and ruthless removal of over 700 of its precious prisms, some of the precision cast and machined bronze frames are bent beyond repair, as are certain other specialized components of the turning mechanism, all made from materials and manufacturing processes no longer available.

Currently, the partially-restored lens contains less than 300 of the original 1,008 precision-ground glass prisms. Another 40-50 lie in storage, because the bronze frames designed to hold them are too bent out of shape to fit them in, or because the prisms were received too late for the restoration work. All of the beautiful 24 bulls-eye flash panels were disassembled prism-by-prism by both local and visiting souvenir hunters in the late 1940s. These panels contained a total of 648 of this magnificent instrument’s prisms and lenses.

This means that whatever contracting agent is eventually hired to complete this project will have to “jigsaw” fit. (like puzzle pieces). newly cast metal and machined parts to work with the other antique parts and mechanisms. Three-quarters of the prisms would be new, force-fitted into what can still be used of the original apparatus. Dissimilar metals and materials would need to be assembled to try to fit and work together as part of a six-ton rotating and “balanced” machine, turning endlessly in the open environment of Hatteras Island after its remains were in storage for over 50 years.

Also, reflect on the fact that if this work can even be accomplished, it will be irreversible—forever.

MY POSITION

Personally, and as a historian who has studied and researched this specific lighthouse for over 17 years, I am against the option of partially or completely restoring the original lens and returning it to the lantern room as an active rotating beacon—in the most emphatic and vehement way possible.

I do believe, as do lampist Jim Woodward, historian Kevin Duffus, and other knowledgeable individuals I have spoken with, that this particular 1853 Henry-Lepaute first-order Fresnel lens is an American Treasure, and like other treasured artifacts that define a place or time in our nation’s history, it should be preserved, displayed, and interpreted. It deserves to be respected and given as much care as we can provide for future North Carolinians, Americans, and lighthouse enthusiasts from around the world.

ANOTHER CHOICE

The other alternative, and the one I do wholeheartedly and fervently support, is that of a reproduction or replica Fresnel lens. If you do some research, you will find that since the 1990s, over forty reproduction or replica Fresnel lenses have been placed in lighthouses and in museums throughout the country. I have also learned recently that none of these reproductions have required servicing or maintenance since their installation. The specialized acrylic lenses can be matched exactly to the color of the original lenses, and are also optically superior. Since the entire apparatus—including the prism frames and the pedestal—can be made from the same materials at the same time, there are no issues with perfect fits, balance, or smooth operation. Again, this method has been tested and proven for over twenty years… almost thirty years in some cases.

A CAUTIONARY TALE

In 2018 the National Park Service began a multi-million dollar restoration of the Point Reyes Lighthouse in California. Included in the funding was money to restore its beautiful first-order lens. Note that the lens had been installed in 1870 and operated continuously until 1975—and unlike our historic lens, theirs was whole and basically undamaged. After the successful restoration of the lighthouse and the lens, a decision was made to re-install the lens into the lantern room. Some experts disagreed, but the Park Service prevailed, and the beautiful restored lens sits in the lantern room today. However, and much to their credit, the historic lens turns but once a year in a special ceremony, and is no longer used as an active aid to navigation. Additionally, the Point Reyes lighthouse stands only 37-feet tall, so the lens can be viewed easily from many vantage points around the site by visitors.

Editor’s Note: For more information on the potential options for re-installing or replacing the lighthouse beacon, and on the lighthouse restoration project in general, see https://islandfreepress.org/outer-banks-driving-on-the-beach/future-possibilities-for-cape-hatteras-lighthouse-restoration-presented-at-public-meeting/.

CHRONOLOGY OF A HISTORIC LENS *

*1852-1870 timeline information from The Lost Light: A Civil War Mystery, by Kevin P. Duffus, © 2003, 2015

1852 – The US Light House Board reorganizes to include engineers and military men and immediately begins ordering and installing the first Fresnel lenses into American lighthouses.

1853 – One of the first two Fresnel lenses to be purchased by the U.S. government in 1852 is displayed at the Crystal Palace Exhibition of the Industry of All Nations in New York City and is seen by over one million people.

1854 – The lens is shipped to Cape Hatteras and installed in the raised and rebuilt first Cape Hatteras lighthouse.

1861, Jun – By decree of the NC governor, the lens is removed from the tower so as not to be a beacon for the Union Navy. It is taken to a warehouse in Washington, North Carolina and hidden from Union troops.

1861, Sep – The lighthouse is recaptured by Union troops… the Federal government begins its search to locate and recover the lens.

1862, Mar – Knowing that Union troops are on their trail, Southern loyalists move the lens north to Tarboro. Federal authorities demand the return of the lens but the Southern loyalists refuse. The lens is turned over to a Confederate quartermaster who requests that someone from Richmond come to take possession of the valuable lens.

1862, Apr – A local doctor offers to take the lens to a secure location in Granville County. It takes two weeks to secure a railcar and the lens, securely packed into 44 wood crates, 2 cases, and some additional pieces make the journey from Tarboro to Townesville. By now the lens has traveled over 240 miles across the Carolina countryside.

1865, Aug – Four and a half years after its removal from its tower, Union soldiers finally locate the lens in Henderson, NC.

1865, Sep – All of the Henry-Lepaute lens is recovered and is back in possession of the Federal government. In 1867, the U.S. Light House Board decides to have the damaged lens returned to Paris to be repaired and refitted.

1868, Oct – The newly refurbished lens arrives at the Staten Island Depot.

1870, May – With the construction of the second Cape Hatteras Lighthouse nearly complete,  the Light House Board sends a message to engineer James Hervey Simpson asking if he would prefer a “new” lens for the new lighthouse, saying they have on hand a first-order flashing lens with its pedestal.  Engineer Simpson accepts the offer.

1870 – The lens is repacked and shipped to Cape Hatteras, the “new” lens and pedestal are fitted to the lantern room, and the new lighthouse is illuminated December 16, 1870.

1936, May – With ocean waves lapping at the foundation, the Coast Guard decides to abandon the tower, and on the morning of May 13, 1936, Unaka Jennette, with a heavy heart, extinguishes the flame of the incandescent oil vapor lamp, locks off the descending weights of the clockwork mechanism, and descends the stairs for the last time.

1940s, late – The unguarded tower is an open invitation, and over three quarters of the lens prisms are pried out and stolen.

1949 – After beach erosion diminishes, the Coast Guard decides to recommission the 1870 tower. With the precious Fresnel lens in ruins, the Coast Guard installs a modern airport beacon. The remaining frames and catadioptric panels of the Henry-Lepaute lens are dismantled and the apparatus is boxed and sent to the Park Service facilities at the Wright Memorial at Kill Devil Hills.

1960s – The lens panels are moved to the Little Kinnakeet Lifesaving Station boathouse in north Avon for storage.

1987, Mar – The Coastland Times reports “Historic Lighthouse Lens Stolen from Boathouse.”

1988, Dec – More than one year later, the Greensboro News and Record reports “Lighthouse Lenses Found.”

1990s – The remaining lens panels are moved to a Park Service storage facility at Fort Raleigh in Manteo. Several sections of the catadioptric upper panels are put on display at the Park bookstore located in the double-keepers quarters.

2002, Sep – The NPS commits to lend the surviving pieces of the original lens to the Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum.

2006, Oct – The NPS partners with the GOTAM to restore the pedestal and additional lens panels from the Cape Hatteras Light.