Last updated: March 29, 2021
Place
Hatteras Principal Keeper's Quarters
Quick Facts
Built in 1870 along with the lighthouse, this is where the Principal Lighthouse Keeper of the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, and his family, lived.
Now, the building is used by park staff and is not open to the public.
Keeping the Light
The staff of the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse consisted of a Principal Keeper and two Assistant Keepers. The keepers did not live in the lighthouse but, when they were on duty, they would be found in the watch room at the top of the tower. Originally, the US Lighthouse Board provided housing, staple foods, medicine, and an annual salary up to $800. After the 1880s, keepers wore dark blue wool dress uniforms.
They worked at the lighthouse performing maintenance, repair, and administrative duties. Each keeper was required to stand a four-hour watch during the night. The time of these watches alternated daily from keeper to keeper. On one day, the Principal Keeper may take the 8 pm to midnight watch, the 1st Assistant Keeper would take the midnight to 4 am watch, and the 2nd Assistant Keeper would take the 4 to 8 am watch. The following night the Principal Keeper would take the midnight to 4 am watch, and so forth. The keeper on watch at the end of the night would be responsible for all morning maintenance of the lamp and lens to prepare them for the upcoming night.
The keepers' duties included:
- Hand-carrying fuel up to the lantern room;
- Fueling the lamp;
- Trimming the wicks (later, replacing the mantles and pumping up the oil vaporizer);
- Regularly cleaning and polishing the glass chimney, lenses, and windows;
- Polishing brass fittings and tools;
- Cranking up the weight, latching it, and letting it free when they lit the lamp at night;
- Lighting and extinguishing the lamp;
- Closing lantern room curtains by day to prevent sun damage of the lens glass;
- Cleaning and lubricating the clockwork;
- Painting the structure;
- Routine maintenance and repairs of all buildings;
- Greeting and lodging visitors and inspectors;
- Writing reports, keeping records, and ordering supplies; and
- Monitoring the light and nearby shipping at night.
As the Cape Hatteras light station grew, so did the number of staff. In 1803, there was only one keeper, though sometimes he hired someone to help with jobs around the station. With the improvements of 1854, an assistant keeper was officially hired. When the current lighthouse was completed in 1870, it was determined that a second assistant was needed. By the late 1870s, a third assistant had been hired to maintain the Cape Point beacon (a small light at the edge of Cape Point). So for a time, there were four keepers and their families living on the light station grounds.