Cape Hatteras Lighthouse Restoration: February 2024 Update

Scaffolding went up over February; by mid-April it was 95% complete. NPS photo.

In February 2024, visitors to Cape Hatteras National Seashore saw the first visible signs of the long-planned restoration of the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, as the contractor, Stone and Lime Historic Restoration Services, began staging equipment and preparing the lighthouse and grounds. This update was posted by the National Park Service on March 1, 2024.

Visiting during construction

Active work zones are fenced off, and marked walkways keep the Museum of the Sea, the park store and restrooms open. The grounds are safe to visit, but visitors should be aware of ongoing construction.

February highlights

• The contractor finished mobilizing and fenced off the work areas.
• Gravel was laid around the base of the lighthouse to give the scaffolding a stable footing.
• More than 70 truckloads of scaffolding were planned for delivery. The lighthouse will be scaffolded inside and out, with 28 deck levels reaching a little over 200 feet.
• Scaffolding installation began on February 19 and was expected to run through the end of March or early April. Three levels were up by month's end, and a crane arrived to help with the higher levels.
• Artworks Florida continued building a replica first-order Fresnel lens, completing several brackets and mountings and a small section of prisms.
• Allen Architectural Metals surveyed and documented the condition of the existing ironwork and other metalwork.
• Landscape and hardscape work was being prepared to start in March, beginning next to the Museum of the Sea and moving toward the parking lots.

Expected in March 2024

• more exterior scaffolding, and the start of interior scaffolding;
• site preparation for delivery of an exterior scaffolding elevator;
• test panels for hardscape colors and paint-removal methods;
• more work on hardscape paths, starting near the Museum of the Sea.

The park's restoration project page has the overall plan and later updates.

Sources

• National Park Service, Cape Hatteras National Seashore: "Hatteras Light Station Restoration Update - February 2024" (updated March 1, 2024).