​Roanoke River - Edenton North Carolina
7 Dock St, Edenton North Carolina
Built in 1886 to replace its predecessor destroyed by a fire in 1885, the fully restored Roanoke River Lighthouse now stands proudly in the harbor at Edenton, North Carolina. The lighthouse first served as a guide for ships navigating the waters of the Albemarle Sound into the Roanoke River, leading to the profitable ports at Plymouth and Edenton.​

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Map

Location

From Elizabeth City, take US 17 South to Edenton. Take U.S. Business 17 into town and follow Broad Street. Following South Broad Street, turn right onto Water Street. The lighthouse is visible along the waterfront overlooking Edenton Bay.

​​Google Maps HERE

History

The lighthouse is believed to be the last extant example in the United States of a square frame building built for a screwpile light. Its design is of the screwpile type, but unlike many others, its twenty-four wooden piles are driven straight down with a support frame of iron. It houses a fourth-order Fresnel lens on loan from the U.S. Coast Guard. Its design also differs from other screwpiles in that it has two stories with the tower set off to one side of the structure. This possibly afforded keepers and their families more room during a time when families were allowed to live at the lighthouse.  
The original lighthouse was purchased by the Edenton Historical Commission from
Emmett Wiggins who successfully moved the lighthouse by barge to land just west of Edenton. S ubsequently, it was given to the state of North Carolina whereupon a group of devoted volunteers, public officials, and preservation enthusiasts relocated it to its final home. In 2009, with over two million dollars in state funds, the structural restoration was complete and the lighthouse was open to the public. Donations of nineteenth century furnishings help to give the lighthouse an authentic 1886 appeal.


Photography

EASY Access - Park your car, have a lunch in the park and visit the lighthouse.

Time of day - This location is good for anytime of the day.
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LENS - 35mm to 100mm is ideal for the lighthouse, however, you may wish to spend more time on the island doing bird photography.  

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