Just mentioning Ocracoke Island, part of North Carolina's Cape Hatteras National Seashore, stirs up a rich history of shipwrecks and buccaneer treachery. The tales of Edward Teach would fill a chaptered of this coastal island's history book. Teach, the infamous Blackbeard, was feared by all that sailed the seas. Known to be kin to the devil, Teach spent his final years at Ocracoke, at what is now known as Teach's Hole.
Ocracoke inlet was the only deep water entrance to Pamlico Sound and its shifting sands claimed one of its first vessels in 1585. The Diamond shoals have taken so many ships, the area has been named Graveyard of the Atlantic. By the early 1800s, increased maritime traffic begged for a new navigational beacon, as the original lighthouse was burnt by a lightning fire.
Today, the Ocracoke Lighthouse, dating back to 1823, is the state's oldest operating light. It's no wonder that the 75 foot tower is still intact once it's known the brick based is 12 feet thick. A concerted effort, made up of the National Parks Service, the U.S. Coast Guard and the North Carolina State Historic Preservation Office, protects, maintains and has refurbished this National Historic Landmark.