Bodie Island Lighthouse

BodieIsland Lighthouse. The plaque inside of the black and white striped tower reads “BodyIsland”. Folklore says that this island was so named because of the bodies of sailors that washed ashore from the many shipwrecks that happened in nearby waters. More likely, however, is that the name came from the Body family who originally settled in the area.

But no matter how it came to be named, Bodie Island Lighthouse got off, quite literally, to a shaky start. The foundation of first lighthouse developed cracks and was abandoned when it began to sink. A second lighthouse was built eleven years later, but as the Confederate soldiers lost their hold on the Outer Banks during the Civil War, the retreating soldiers blew up the lighthouse so that it would not fall into the hands of Union soldiers. This stretch of the Atlantic coastline remained dark for several years, but in 1872, construction began on the third Bodie Island Lighthouse that still stands in its remote setting.

Today’s structure, located just south of Nags Head and halfway between the better known lighthouses in Hatteras and Currituck, is surrounded by beautiful tall trees, lush green lawns and marshland teeming with wildlife. And today’s visitors have the luxury of jumping into their cars after their visit to this lighthouse for a ride to their next destination.

But just imagine how isolated the earliest lighthouse keepers must have felt. No neighboring houses. No bridges to the mainland. BodieIsland was completely undeveloped. The nearest community was on Roanoke Island and was accessible only by boat, forcing the lighthouse keepers to live apart from their families for much of the year. Alone with only the blinking of the light and their thoughts. Thoughts of keeping the light glowing for passing ships and perhaps thoughts of how this desolate island got its name.