Roanoke Marshes Lighthouse

The story of the Roanoke Marshes Lighthouse that stands today is quite interesting and unique. It doesn’t stand 50+ feet in the air, it is not along the coast to guide ships, and it hasn’t been around for years and years. However, it does hold value to the waterways of the Outer Banks, even if it isn’t shining its light many miles into the distance off the shore. The Roanoke Marshes Lighthouse that is located in downtown Manteo is not the original, it’s not even the second edition – it is the fourth lighthouse to be named Roanoke Marshes Lighthouse and was constructed to help guard the entrances to inland rivers and harbors. River lighthouses are much smaller in size, which explains why it is so different from the other lighthouses along the Outer Banks. The Roanoke Marshes Lighthouse is built about 40 yards into the Roanoke Sound and can be walked to via a boardwalk. Its construction was complete, and it was dedicated in September 2004.