Price Creek Light

Price Creek Light

Location	Southport, North Carolina
Coordinates	33°56′9″N77°59′23″W / 33.93583°N 77.98972°W / 33.93583; -77.98972
Tower
Constructed	1850
Construction	Brick
Height	26 feet (7.9 m)
Shape	Conical
Light
First lit	1851
Deactivated	ca. 1860s
Focal height	31 feet (9.4 m)
Lens	8 lamps with 18-inch (460 mm) reflectors
Characteristic	Fixed white light

The Price Creek Lighthouse, also known as the Price's Creek Lighthouse, is a structure located near Southport, North Carolina. It was one of two range lights at Price Creek in a series of lights to guide ships from Cape Fear to Wilmington, North Carolina. ^{[1] [2] [3] [4]}

History

On August 14, 1848, $35,500 was appropriated for the construction of seven beacons and one lightship along the Cape Fear River. In March 1850, the US Collectors office placed an advertisement for construction proposals for two lights at Price's Creek. The Wood Brothers, John C. Wood and Robert B. Wood, were contracted to build the lights at Price’s Creek, and were paid a sum of $5,660 for the job. ^[5]

In 1850, a two story (including the attic) brick lightkeeper's house with an iron Bird-cage lantern was built as one of the lights. The keeper's house was one story, with an attic and cellar, and consisted of two parlor rooms separated by an entry with a staircase that went to the attic. The attic was divided into two chambers, with stairs in the middle leading to a hatch to the lantern room. Attached to the house was a kitchen, with a fireplace, oven, and sink. The kitchen led out to a 1,000 gallon cistern, which was covered by a wood deck with railings.

The lights at Price's Creek were first lit on January 7, 1851.

During the American Civil War, this served the Confederacy as a signal house to communicate between Fort Fisher and Fort Caswell. This house suffered severe storm damage, and locals carted off many of its bricks. ^[4]

The second range light is a conical brick tower originally 20 feet (6 m) tall with a base diameter of 17 feet (5 m). The light was approximately 25 feet (8 m) above sea level. The bricks had been imported from England. It originally had eight lamps with reflectors measuring 18 inches (46 cm) in diameter. ^[1] In 1855 the lamps were replaced with a 6th order Fresnel lens that produced a fixed white light. The tower suffered damage from shells during the Civil War, and was not relit after the war had ended. At some point after 1917 the lantern was removed, and the tower's height was extended to 26 feet. An iron ladder was attached to the outside of the light, leading to a square platform on the top with railings. By 1947 the iron ladder had almost completely rusted away, and the walls of the light were missing many bricks. Colonel J.S. Crawford bought the three acre plot including the lighthouse, with plans to build a house there and fix up the old light. A new wooden staircase was added to the light, and the brickwork was repaired, with new windows being put in.

The surviving range light is located at the edge of Archer Daniels Midland's industrial site on the bank of the Cape Fear River. It is currently in private hands, but can be best viewed from the Southport-Fort Fisher ferry or from the ferryboat landing at Southport. ^{[1] [4]}

Pictures

• Rare 1939 Postcard Showing Price's Creek Front-Range Light
• Rare 1908 Postcard Showing Price's Creek Rear-Range Light and Keeper's House

References

1. Bansemer, Roger, Bansemer's Book of Carolina & Georgia Lighthouses, Pineapple Press, Sarasota, FL, 2000, pp. 50-53, ISBN   1-56164-194-4.
2. Harrison, Tom, and Jones, Ray, Endangered Lighthouses, Globe Pequot Press, Guildord, CT, 2001, p. 40, ISBN   0-7627-0815-8.
3. Roberts, Bruce, and Jones, Ray, Southern Lighthouses: Outer Banks to Cape Florida, 3rd ed., Globe Pequot Press, Guildord, CT, 2002, p. 27, ISBN   0-7627-1243-0.
4. Zepke, Terrance, Lighthouse of the Carolinas, Pineapple Press, Sarasota, FL, 2002, pp. 57-60, ISBN   1-56164-148-0.
5. Rankin, Robert (March 27, 1850). "The Wilmington Chronicle" – via newspapers.com.