Scaffolding around the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse grows as restoration work continues

The Cape Hatteras National Seashore (CHNS) recently posted an update on the progress of the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse restoration project, which began in earnest at the start of 2024.

Updates on the project’s status are regularly published on the CHNS website, but frequent visitors to the Buxton area have noticed these changes in person, as the tower of scaffolding around the lighthouse continues to grow, and surrounding areas are marked off for construction activities.

Throughout March, visitors to the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse site should expect increased preparation and work on the surrounding hardscape pathways, beginning near the Museum of the Sea.

The Cape Hatteras Lighthouse site will remain open to visitors throughout the ongoing work, although some areas will be marked off as landscaping work progresses.

The National Park Service has had funding for the massive $19.2 million project in reserve for years, and the current wave of restoration work is being performed by Stone and Lime Historic Restoration of North Brookfield, Massachusetts, who was awarded the contract in September 2023.

Additional updates on the project for February and March, per CHNS, include the following:

Key milestones from February 2024:

• Stone and Lime completed construction staging efforts. Active construction areas are secured and delineated with fencing.
• Gravel has been set around the base of the Lighthouse to allow for a stable foundation for the scaffolding.
• Scaffolding installation began on Feb. 19 and will proceed through the end of March/early April.
• Three levels of scaffolding have been successfully installed. A crane arrived on the scene towards the end of the month to facilitate installing the scaffolding at higher levels.
• Artworks Florida continued to work on the fabrication of the replica first-order Fresnel lens, having completed several brackets, mountings, and a small section of prisms.
• Allen Architectural Metals was on site to survey and document existing ironwork and other metalwork conditions.

Anticipated highlights for March 2024:

• Continued installation of exterior scaffolding, and the start of installing interior scaffolding.
• Site preparation for the exterior scaffolding elevator/lift delivery.
• Mockups for hardscape colors and paint removal methods are to be completed.

What to expect in the months ahead

• The lighthouse will go dark for a period of time twice in the months to come. The first time will be to replace the current beacon with a temporary light that complies with U.S. Coast Guard regulations, and the second time will be for the installation of a new replica of the original Fresnel lens.
• The lighthouse site will remain open to the public for the duration of the project, although there will be marked-off areas on the grounds where construction activities are ongoing.
• The lighthouse will NOT be open for climbing in the summer of 2024, but will hopefully reopen for the 2025 summertime season. Once the lighthouse does open for climbing, tickets will only be available electronically, similar to the current Bodie Island Lighthouse ticket-purchasing sys
• In the next several months, the full tower of scaffolding will be built around the lighthouse, (similar to the scaffolding built during the Bodie Island Lighthouse Project in the early 2010s), which will be visible from miles away.

For more information:

The public can keep tabs on the progress and details of the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse restoration project on the CHNS website.