The black and white diagonal stripes that make the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse an iconic landmark are disappearing – at least for now.

After about eight months of extensive restoration work, the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse already looks like a different structure, with a scaffolding tower and a new temporary lens lighting up the night. But this next phase of the project may be the most striking and noticeable change yet.

The restoration contractor, Stone and Lime Historic Restoration Services, began removing the exterior paint from the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse on August 19.

Although it is less noticeable to visitors due to the seasonal closure of the building, the interior paint has already been removed and this part of the project was completed in late July.

Stone and Lime expects the removal of the exterior paint to be fully completed by early October.

Due to an earlier project to repaint the lighthouse in the 1970s, a ghostly hint of the black and white spiral pattern will likely remain throughout the tower, but the lighthouse itself will essentially look its plain brick color from top to bottom.

In addition, other milestones are also being achieved. For example, metal restoration work begins, which includes the lantern room, balcony and other interior metal parts. In addition, the adjacent oil house is being restored.

Meanwhile, the first phase of a new concrete and brick walkway was completed over the summer and about 1,200 to 1,500 new plants were added to the landscape in early June. The seedlings included five different native species, such as marram grass and bright red Gaillardia flowers (joebells), and they were planted on more than 1,800 cubic metres of imported sand dredged from an offshore site near Avon.

Regular visitors to the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse may remember the site before 2024 as a patchwork of grass and bare earth created by decades of foot traffic. With the new loop trails and fresh landscaping, the Cape Hatteras Light Station will be more attractive and easier to navigate.

Behind the scenes and off the island, a historic replica of the lighthouse’s First Order Fresnel lens is being constructed by Dan Spinella of Artworks Florida – one of the few people in the world who can restore and recreate a Fresnel lens.

Although this is Spinella’s 50th flagship project, it is the first time he has created a replica of a first-order Fresnel lens – the largest of the eight orders of Fresnel lenses invented in 1819 by French physicist Augustin Fresnel (pronounced “Fruh-nel”).

Spinella began the project with a prototype – which may one day be exhibited – and has since been steadily building the replica itself, which includes a vast network of moving parts. The 1,000 or so prisms that magnify light take about an hour to complete each time, so there’s still a lot of work to do before the new Fresnel lens makes its debut.

Those involved (including Stone and Lime Construction and the National Park Service) are confident that, despite all the weather-related challenges, the lighthouse will be able to officially reopen to visitors in the summer of 2026.

In the meantime, visitors can explore the works as part of their daily visit, stop by the Maritime Museum and watch in real time how a 154-year-old structure is being given new life, even if the lighthouse will lose its distinctive black and white façade – at least for a while – during its renovation.

What to expect in the coming months

• The lighthouse site will remain open to the public for the duration of the project, however there will be designated areas on the site where construction will take place.
• National Park Service educational rangers lead a program that delves into the lighthouse’s history and provides information about the current restoration efforts daily from 11:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. The daily program, held in the Visitor Center Pavilion, runs through Labor Day.
• The lighthouse is NOT open for climbing in summer 2024but will hopefully reopen for the summer season of 2026. Once the lighthouse is open for climbing, tickets will only be available electronically, similar to the current ticket purchasing system for the Bodie Island Lighthouse.
• The public can follow the progress and details of the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse restoration project on the CHNS website.