Is This the Most Haunted Hotspot on the North Carolina Coast

In Buxton, North Carolina, there is a lighthouse near the edge of Hatteras Island, and the sight is something out of a Tim Burton film. They say not to judge a book by its cover. However, this is the exception. Due to the aggressive waters surrounding the lighthouse, it is a location known for having ghostly encounters with ships that have long since vanished at sea. After all, the sea in this area is called the Graveyard of the Atlantic for a reason.

The Lighthouse of Cape Hatteras, NCPhoto byJoe Garza Photography

Cape Hatteras had nothing for ships to spot from a distance until the early 1800s. But sailors were still not pleased. The light was poor, and the lighthouse only stood 90 feet tall. It was not until the mid-1850s that the new and improved lighthouse provided use for ships. Unfortunately, the Civil War was just around the corner. The lighthouse was left damaged, and allegedly, the Union army stole parts from it. Finally, in 1870, a new tower was placed and was given the black and white candy cane look it is known for today.

Decades later, the sea continued threatening to wreak havoc on the lighthouse. The National Park Service took ownership of the tower and rebuilt the coastline so that the crashing waves would no longer be an issue.

In 1999, the lighthouse was moved half a mile inland. Allegedly, the ghosts from the first lighthouse continue to roam around the current one today. One of the famous ghosts is a mystery ship named the Carroll A. Deering, a commercial vessel. Deering was discovered abandoned in January of 1921 near the lighthouse.

Deering’s crew disappeared, as did personal belongings and the lifeboats. Allegedly, there is the sighting of a gray man spotted by the tower, leading witnesses to believe the figure could be a ghost of the Deering. This gray man is said to appear right before rain starts and will sometimes show himself for a short time in between the crashing of waves.

Did You Know? The first distress call from the RMS Titanic pinged the Hatteras Village Weather Station at 11:25 p.m. on that fateful night 112 years ago.

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Written By: Izzy

Photo By: Joe Garza Photography

Source: https://hauntedus.com/north-carolina/cape-hatteras-lighthouse-haunted/#:~:text=At%20a%20towering%20208%20feet,the%20Graveyard%20of%20the%20Atlantic.

https://www.nps.gov/caha/planyourvisit/basicinfo.htm