Wayfarrow

Bald Head Lighthouse

Lighthouse · Brunswick County, North Carolina

Bald Head Lighthouse is a lighthouse in Brunswick County, North Carolina. North Carolina has 18 lighthouses on record at Wayfarrow, 4 of them in Brunswick County.

It was built in 1817, in the first half of the 19th century, making it the 2nd oldest of the 10 in North Carolina with a recorded construction date; the tower stands about 110 feet tall (6th tallest of 8 measured in North Carolina); its light sits 112 feet above the water; the light characteristic is recorded as F W (a steady light); it was deactivated in 1935.

Status check, 2026-11: "Old Baldy" is North Carolina's oldest standing lighthouse. It replaced a 1794 tower and stopped working as a light long ago, but is now open for climbing. One source (USALights) gives 91 ft, but most say 110 ft. Bald Head Lighthouse is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It stands at 33.8735° N, 78.0003° W.

Key facts

Current structure built1817
Tower height110 ft
Focal height112 ft
Light characteristicF W
Deactivated1935
Heritage designationNational Register of Historic Places listed place
National RegisterListed
Coordinates33.87347, -78.00028

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Nearby places

Questions

Where is Bald Head Lighthouse?

Bald Head Lighthouse is in Brunswick County, North Carolina, at 33.8735, -78.0003.

How many lighthouses are in Brunswick County?

Brunswick County, North Carolina has 4 lighthouses on record at Wayfarrow.

Sources and licences

Facts marked "approximately" carry an uncertain date in the source. Text on this page is generated from the sources above; no encyclopedia prose is copied. Last updated 2026-11-05.