Cape Fear Lighthouse Complex
Also known as: Cap'n Charlie's Cottages
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Why it's listed
Three wooden keepers' houses and a board-and-batten supply shed survive at the southeast end of Smith Island, also called Bald Head Island, near Cape Fear in Brunswick County, North Carolina. They are what remains of a station completed in 1903 around the Cape Fear Lighthouse, a 159-foot steel skeleton tower first lit on August 31 of that year. The lighthouse was the third on the island, after those of 1796 and 1817 ("Old Baldy"). The houses are one-story-plus-attic frame buildings on brick piers, with full-length front porches and a symmetry reminiscent of the Stick Style. Head keeper Charlie Swan, known locally as "Cap'n Charlie," lived in one house for thirty years until 1933, and his two assistants lived in the others. The Coast Guard shut the light in 1958 after a new lighthouse opened on Oak Island, and the tower was demolished that September. The surviving buildings document the working life of a coastal light that supported shipping and commerce.
Significance in brief: The houses and shed are the only standing remains of the 1903 Cape Fear Lighthouse station, the third lighthouse built on Smith Island. The complex is tied to coastal navigation and North Carolina seaborne commerce, and to head keeper Captain Charlie Swan, who served thirty years. State officials rated its significance as local.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 78001931, listed August 29, 1978. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | S of Kure Beach, Kure Beach |
|---|---|
| County | Brunswick County |
| Listed | August 29, 1978 |
| Reference number | 78001931 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1903 |
| Architectural style | Stick Style allusions |
| Areas of significance | Transportation |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Marked unoccupied and in fair condition; the lighthouse was demolished in 1958 but its foundation and generator shed remain. The new owners intend to renovate the buildings. |
| Acreage | 2 |
| Coordinates | 33.84501, -77.96699 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For a publicly owned building or structure, listing mainly matters when federal funds, permits or licences are involved: projects then go through Section 106 review so effects on the property are considered. Listing also strengthens applications for preservation grants and, for leased income-producing uses, can enable the federal rehabilitation tax credit.
Noted as vacant in the nomination. Nomination documents can be decades old; current status may differ. If you are considering buying an empty listed property, read the due-diligence checklist.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 78001931.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5034789
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.