Rescheduled Ceremony for
Cape Hatteras Lighthouse Relighting
Will Be On Hallowed Ground
The Saturday, November 13th, ceremony for the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse relighting will take place on the original grounds of the 1870 Cape Hatteras Light Station in Buxton, North Carolina. Following the ceremony, the lighthouse will be permanently relit after having been extinguished March 1, 1999 in preparation for its relocation. People attending the evening ceremony which will begin 1 hour before sunset may sit in the vacant footprint left after the historic lighthouse was moved 2900 feet to save it from falling into the Atlantic Ocean. The old site of the lighthouse is marked with a circle of large granite boulders which formed part of the lower plinth stones when the lighthouse occupied the spot.
The 4 PM ceremony will begin with the U.S. Coast Guard Group Cape Hatteras presentation of colors and The National Anthem sung by Hatteras Island resident Joy Wegner. The program includes brief comments by representatives of International Chimney Corporation, the U.S. Coast Guard, the National Park Service, and Dare County Commission Chair Geneva Perry.
Bett Padgett and William "Mojo" Collins, both of whom have recorded songs on compact discs, will sing original lighthouse ballads. Dave Grieder, of Frisco, NC will sing the benediction. A Coast Guard military fly-over is also scheduled for the ceremony.
"While the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse has been "relit" on occasions in the past, this particular event will symbolically signal the beginning of a new historical era for this
structure-one in which stewardship, trusteeship, and individual responsibilities for the preservation of our national heritage, will become part of the history of this lighthouse," said Chris Bernthal, Cape Hatteras National Seashore Acting Superintendent. "The first 129 years of history of the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse are not lost. The American people chose the best places for their parks because they felt themselves at their best in them. The Cape Hatteras Lighthouse's history captures the best of the American character. Saving it has only added to its glorious history and strengthened it as a place of wonder and reverence, and as a vessel of the American experience."
The National Park Service invites all interested visitors to come and enjoy this celebration of new beginnings for the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse. People attending the ceremony are encouraged to bring their own flashlights and lawn chairs or ground blankets so that they may sit and enjoy the activities.
THE CAPE HATTERAS LIGHTHOUSE RELIGHTING
4:00 PM, Saturday, November 13, 1999
Master of Ceremonies - U.S. National Park Ranger John A. Gillikin
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Presentation of Colors | Group Cape Hatteras Color Guard
US Coast Guard |
| Pledge of Allegiance | Ranger John Gillikin
National Park Service |
| The National Anthem | Joy Wegner
Music Teacher, Cape Hatteras High School |
| Invocation | Reverend James Huskins
Hatteras United Methodist Church |
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Welcome | Acting Superintendent Chris Bernthal
Cape Hatteras National Seashore |
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The Lighthouse, The County, The State and The Nation | Chairperson Geneva Perry
Dare County Board of Commissioners |
| Dedication and Commitment | Chief of Resources Management, Steve Harrison,
Cape Hatteras National Seashore |
| House of Light | William "Mojo" Collins |
| Lighthouse Navigational History | Captain John Cook
US Coast Guard |
| US Coast Guard Fly-Over | Air Station Elizabeth City
US Coast Guard |
| The Relocation Project | Mr. Rick Lohr
International Chimney Corporation |
| Hatteras, if a Lighthouse Could Speak | Bett Padgett |
| A New Era of History Begins | Superintendent Chris Bernthal |
| Recognition of the Lighthouse Volunteers | Superintendent Chris Bernthal |
| Benediction Let the Lower Lights Be Burning | Dave Greider |
| Relighting of the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse | Park Ranger
/ Historian Rob Bolling |
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