The Cape Fear Lighthouse System and Price's Creek Lighthouses-- Part 1

From the Friends of Price's Creek Lighthouse site.

Range lights, such as at Price's Creek, were built in pairs, with the shorter one in front of the taller.  By centering the two, boats knew they were in the center of the channel and in safety.

All the Cape Fear lights were built between 1849 and 1850, except the lightship which went into service in 1851 and the Upper Jettee (Upper Jetty) which received range lights in 1855.

The 20-foot Price's Creek front range light was all brick and had a sister light 700 to 800 feet behind it which also served as keeper's quarters.  The rear range light was 35-feet high and also built of brick.  In a photo of the structure, the light appeared to be on top of the keeper's quarters, so was most likely a self-standing structure.

Both originally had 8 lamps and eight 14-inch reflectors which were replaced in 1855 by a 6th-order Frensl lenses.

--Old B-R'er