- Title
- Our state
-
-
- Date
- May 1999
-
-
- Place
- ["North Carolina, United States"]
-
Our state
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guiding LIGHTS
A cir Cngland carper/ lev Dexter Stetson first arrived in North Carolina
in
/
S6S to supervise construction of the ('ape Hat terns
and Do die Island Halit houses. II hen he finished, he parked np his tools,
paid off his men. and disappeared, remaining a mystery
for nearly a century Non' rediscovered, hoirever. Stetson trill he remembered
as the carpenter who built the best lighthouses on the Cast ( oast .
including America's cherished ('ape Hat terns Light.
by ( lien V Shel/on-Hober/s
The 1870 ( ’if»' I latinos Lighthouse stands as one oj the finest
buildings designed and I null hs our ffnervmrnl. It has long hen
Ninth Camhna's stwngrst nunitimr symbol on the Xutionnl Register
of Histnrit limes and is now designated as a National Historic
/
/md mink, the highest esteemed tank for shut hues, lo i/nalify
/01
and rani saih a les/mled title . the National Histone hind marks
hogiam legulations s/ierify that a fmfierty mast exhibit ~ rxcefdionnl
value to the nation us a uhofr rather than to a fun In trim state in
lorality. "At a National Hislorir
/ /1
ml mink, the C/ifie 1 1 at tn as
Lighthouse is judged to 'fmssess national signi/itante in A menean
history, anlentogy, anhilirluir, engineering, and tulhirr, and so des¬
ignated let the Sn irtary of the Advisory Cniinril on Historic
hiseivation. ~
< Mlicial government-style letteis air chiseled into ihr mar-
lilr lahlri in the entryway ol 1 hr Cape llattcr.is lighthouse.
Willi stern aullioriiv, ihr table states these statistics:
Cape 1 hurras light House
KrectedA.l). 1«70
latitude 35’ I.V If
longitude
7Г» :«)*
56"
44 Our State May 1999
I'hLs awe-inspiring siniciurr of brick, iron, granite, and mar¬
ble bears no builder’s signature. For years liglidioiise aliciona-
dos could only s|M4'ulaie alioiil the person who supervised the
ireinrndouN efforts necessary’ to build this national historic
inoniinieni. So who did build this magnificent tower? At one
time a plaque with a name on it was affixed near the doorway,
but today the plaque is missing. The builder’s identity, creden¬
tials. and iKtckground have icmaiiicd a mystery.
Until recently.
Time and again, old U.S. lighthouse Service documents
have revealed that “Dexter Stetson, foreman of construction
ol the Gape Hattcras and Ikxlie Island lighthouses" was cho¬
sen to build what would become a preeminent National
I listoii» landmark. < )l greater importance were the talents of
the man selected for the job. Stetson spent almut two years
building each tower, and in 1X7‘2. he packed up his tools, paid
oil his men. and disappeared.
\\ Ito was l)f\lcr Slelson?
Fot veais I have been intrigued by this enigmatic man who
accepted .111 immense- challenge and was successful to the