Cape Lookout Lighthouse Complex: Cultural Landscapes Inventory, Cape Lookout National Seashore

Regions 1, 2, & 4 Park Cultural Landscapes Program

Inventory Unit Description: Cape Lookout Village is a National Register Historic District located within Cape Lookout National Seashore, in Carteret County, North Carolina. Cape Lookout National Seashore was established in 1966 “to preserve for public use and enjoyment an area in the State of North Carolina possessing outstanding natural and recreation values” (U.S. Congress, 80 Stat. 33, approved 10 March 1966). Administered by the National Park Service (NPS), the National Seashore occupies a portion of North Carolina’s Outer Banks, depositional sand-based landforms that extend along much of North Carolina’s coast. The form of the Outer Banks is constantly shifting in response to natural forces—wind, ocean tides, and storm surges—as well as cultural activities such as the dredging of channels for navigation. The period of significance for the Cape Lookout Village Historic District begins in 1857 with the beginning of the construction of the Cape Lookout Lighthouse and concludes in circa 1950 with the end of any significant private construction and the conclusion of World War II era military activities in the postwar years. The historic use of the cape is directly related to its geography. Historically the cape was primarily used for navigation and maritime services, commercial fishing activities, residential living, and private recreational activities. Additional uses included agriculture—in the form of livestock grazing—and military activities during World Wars I and II. After 1950, the variety of land uses diminished to include primarily public recreation and limited maritime and residential uses with the transfer of cape management to the NPS in 1966. The most distinct alteration to Cape Lookout over time has been changing shape of the landform that has resulted from years of erosion and re-deposition of sand. Modifications since 1950 include the moving of several buildings, the establishment of loblolly pine tree stands, changes in circulation patterns, and several alterations to accommodate federal administration of the cape as a public park. The district is significant at the state level under Criteria A, C, and D, in addition to Criterion Consideration B, in the areas of architecture, social and maritime history, military history, and archeology. The site retains sufficient integrity to convey the important associations of its period of significance to the visitor. Cape Lookout Village Historic District is composed of three component landscapes, including the Lighthouse Complex located in the northern portion of the Cape Lookout Village Historic District. The complex includes the Cape Lookout Lighthouse, 1873 Keeper’s Dwelling, Summer Kitchen, and Oil House, in addition to non-historic structures including a Visitor Center, comfort stations, shade shelters, and sheds. The component landscape also includes the foundations of former buildings and structures, including the original lighthouse. There are historic circulation features in addition to a modern wooden boardwalk system used to travel through the area. Small-scale features are namely non-historic and associated with visitation and interpretation.

Cape Lookout Lighthouse Complex: Cultural Landscapes Inventory, Cape Lookout National Seashore

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