Historic Structure Report: Cape Hatteras National Seashore, Bodie Island Lighthouse and Oil House

摘要

The area on which the Bodie Island Light Station now stands was originally spelled Bodys Island. This spelling appears on many early documents. It is not known how the island got its name or when or why it was changed, though research is currently underway to determine the answer to those questions. The current spelling, Bodie Island, is used throughout this document for the sake of clarity unless directly referencing an original document using the original spelling. The Bodie Island Lighthouse is significant in the understanding of the history of maritime navigational aids used by the United States during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. It was constructed during a period of building of several such aids along the shores of this country and stands largely unchanged except for the means of powering the light. The surroundings of the Bodie Island Lighthouse, unencumbered by visible signs of contemporary society, with the exception of the access road, are also significant to the understanding of under what conditions the Lightkeepers lived and worked in the last part of the nineteenth century and first half of the twentieth.