Orton Plantation 100th Anniversary

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Spend An Unforgettable Day!

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Local Author’s Books: Huge Hit!

Local Author and Illustrator Miller Pope has spent a lifetime as an artist Read more

A History of “Old Baldy”

Bald Head Island, which is part of Smith Island, got its nickname from the dunes on the south beach. The dunes, along the island, eventually became worn down and resembled a bald head.

It was decided to place a lighthouse on Bald Head Island to guide ships through the channels and sand bars of the Cape Fear River. In addition, one was also needed to help vessels avoid the treacherous Frying Pan Shoals, which extends over 20 miles out into the Atlantic Ocean.

North Carolina’s first lighthouse structure was constructed in 1795. This light station was located on the southwest point of Bald Head Island. The light station was ordered to be destroyed due to severe erosion along the river. Funds were approved the same year for the construction of a new light station. It was not until 1816 that efforts were made to obtain bids for the construction of the new light.

The new octagonal tower, “Old Baldy,” as it is affectionately known, was first illuminated in 1817. This is the present lighthouse on Bald Head Island. At its base “Old Baldy” is thirty-six feet wide, and its walls are five feet thick. The top the lighthouse is fourteen feet and six inches wide and two feet and six inches thick. The foundation and the platform for the lantern room are constructed of stone.

The tower is constructed of brick and painted with plaster on the exterior. The ground floor is made of brick, while the remaining floor joist and the stairs are made from North Carolina Yellow Pine.

The first lighthouse keepers cottage was located the on the west side of “Old Baldy.” Due to erosion the keepers cottage was destroyed. It was replaced in the 1850’s with a one and one-half story cottage located on the east side of the lighthouse. The second structure was destroyed by fire. As a result a larger two story structure was built in 1883 in the same location as the previous keepers cottage, reusing some of the original brick piers. This too was lost to a fire in 1931. A museum was built on the same spot, replicating the two story cottage.

View of entrance to Bald Head Lighthouse
Trivia Note: The Island may look familiar to you, this was the Island that Weekend at Bernie’s (1989) was filmed on, as well as The Butcher’s Wife (1991), and Pirate Kids II: The Search for the Silver Skull (2006).

Visitor Information

Directions: From Hwy 17/74 south of Wilmington, Take 133 south to 211 south and once in the town of Southport, turn right on 9th street. Take 9th to Plantation Drive and you will reach the ferry landing that will take you to the island. Information Contact (910) 457-7481 for more information about Bald Head Lighthouse

Summer Hours
Tuesday – Saturday, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m
Sunday 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Winter Hours
Please call 910-457-7481 for hours.

The ferry ride is a people only ferry and costs $15 per person for a round trip. Once on the island, you can rent bikes to get around since there are no vehicles allowed.

The lighthouse is very close to the ferry landing so you can easily walk there. It also has a small museum that is set up similar to what the keepers house would look like. There is also a shop that sells books, shirts, and various lighthouse related items. It costs $3 to climb enter the museum and climb the lighthouse.

There is a chapel that was built in 1987 near the lighthouse that is open to the public. Across from the lighthouse is a small post office.

Historic Island Tours
Tuesday-Saturday at 10:30 a.m.
Meet at the Island Ferry landing
Cost: $45/Adults and $40/Children 12 and under, price includes Ferry, Tour and Lunch ($30 for island guests)
Call 910-457-5003 for reservations.

* Bald Head Island Lighthouse was built in 1817.
* It is the oldest standing lighthouse in North Carolina
* It cost just under $16,000 to build.
* The structure is 109? 10-3/4? tall, made of brick and coated with cement.
* The tower is no longer in service, however serves as a tourist attraction.
* Bald Head Island is fourteen miles north to south, and 3.6 miles east to west.

Bald Head’s New Ferry Terminal

Deep Point Marina, the new mainland ferry terminal for Bald Head Island, will open to the public on Tuesday, June 2, 2009. Ferry operations from Indigo Plantation & Marina, the current embarkation point for Bald Head Island, will be suspended permanently at that time.

Deep Point Marina in Southport will be the new mainland ferry terminal location for Bald Head Island, NC.

“The passenger experience at Deep Point will be a significant improvement over Indigo Plantation,” said Jim Henry, Director of Planning for Bald Head Island Limited. “The new facility is thoroughly modern, and will prove an easier loading and unloading experience as well as providing larger and more comfortable waiting spaces. During high traffic times, the facility will allow for more passengers to move through the space, which we hope will elevate the ferry experience for our passengers.”

The 40,000 square-foot ferry terminal at Deep Point Marina consists of two levels, similar to an airport, with arrivals and departures on separate levels. It will feature an automatic baggage transfer system that will move bags from the upper departure level to the lower arrivals level for loading to the ferry. The terminal will also feature a snack bar, Deep Point Galley, which will offer grab-and-go food options as well as soft drinks, beer, wine and coffee.

“The new terminal will truly be the beginning of the Bald Head Island experience,” said Henry. “Not only will passengers have access to more complete information about the island, its amenities and its history, they can take in epic views of the Cape Fear River from the observation deck.”

The new terminal, which took 18 months from groundbreaking to completion, was designed by architects THW Design from Atlanta, a design firm known for its experience in designing airport terminals, and built by the Wilmington branch of Clancy & Theys Construction. Henry described the terminal’s shingle-clad architectural style as “coastal cottage,” reminiscent of the island’s vernacular architecture.

In addition to becoming the hub for mainland ferry operations, Deep Point Marina will ultimately house a number of other functions for Bald Head Island Limited, including administrative offices, a marine maintenance facility, a shipping and receiving center and a harbour master building that will accommodate the recreational marina operation. The site also features a new 82-slip marina, which will also begin offering transient dockage, as well as short term and long term slip rentals, when the facility opens later in June.

The Deep Point facility will have significantly more parking than Indigo Plantation–an increase of more than 500 spaces–with room for future expansion.

“The opening of Deep Point Marina as the site of Bald Head Island’s mainland ferry terminal is one of our most important undertakings as developers to date,” said Kent Mitchell, President of Bald Head Island Limited. “The considerable investment in Deep Point represents our company’s commitment to the long term viability and well being of Bald Head Island, its property owners, and visitors.”

Deep Point Marina is located at 1301 Ferry Road in Southport, just before the state-operated Southport-Fort Fisher Ferry landing. A ferry schedule for passenger ferry service to Bald Head Island can be downloaded from www.ferrytobhi.com.

The Old Baldy Foundation

Old Baldy was listed on National Register of Historic Places in 1975. In 1985 a group of dedicated individuals founded the Old Baldy Foundation, a public not-for-profit 501-c3 organization dedicated to the maintenance and preservation of Old Baldy Lighthouse. The Old Baldy Foundation is governed by a nine member board of directors and managed by an executive director. The lighthouse and property on which Old Baldy stands and the current Smith Island Museum were deeded over to the Old Baldy Foundation by the Mitchell Family in 1987.

For years visitors to Old Baldy could climb literally “at their own risk”. In 1991 the Old Baldy Foundation launched a campaign, “Steps to the Top”, to repair the steps to the top of the lighthouse. Between 1991 and 1995 Old Baldy Foundation raised over $125,000 for renovation efforts.

In 1997 plans were developed to recreate one of the three keepers’ cottages that stood on the site. The Old Baldy Foundation undertook a loan to finance the building of this one and a half story building. It now holds a small gift shop, museum exhibits and office space for staff. In 2000, upon opening this museum and gift shop the Old Baldy Foundation started to charge a $3/person fee to see the museum and climb Old Baldy. Over the past eight years those fees, and the proceeds from the gift shop, have been set aside for maintenance and long term preservation work.

Visit the http://www.oldbaldy.org site