Bald Head Lighthouse was the 18th lighthouse built in America and 3rd built by the United States Government. Bald Head Lighthouse was the first lighthouse constructed in North Carolina to mark Bald Head Shoals, Jay Bird Shoals, and Frying Pan Shoals. It also served to direct ships entering the Cape Fear River heading towards the port of Wilmington.
The Lighthouse has been called “Old Baldy” due to the lack of vegetation on some dunes, resembling bald heads in contrast to the forest behind the dunes.
