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    Cape Hatteras

    National Seashore North Carolina

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Wright Brothers National Memorial Visitor Center Closed Due to Fire Damage

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Date: July 21, 2011
Contact: Outer Banks Group, 252-473-2111

Superintendent Mike Murray announced today the Wright Brothers National Memorial Visitor Center will be closed until further notice. A mid-morning fire in an air handling unit motor at the facility was extinguished and there were no injuries reported. All staff and park visitors were evacuated from the building. The Kill Devil Hills and Colington Fire Departments responded.

The park, including the Wright Brothers Pavilion with interpretive exhibits, remains open to visitors. The building where the fire occurred will require clean up and repair of damage and debris and a thorough assessment of the condition of cultural artifacts. The building is expected to be reopened in several days.

 

Did You Know?

The Principal Lightkeeper's Quarters and the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse move toward their new homes, a safer distance from the ocean.

The Cape Hatteras Lighthouse is the tallest brick structure ever moved.  When it was built in 1870, it stood 1,500 feet from the shore.  By 1999, the lighthouse was within 100 feet of the ocean.  To protect it from the encroaching sea, it was moved inland a total of 2,900 feet over a 23-day period.