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The Keeper's Times
The Old Baldy Foundation Community Newsletter
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COVID-19 Reopening Details
As North Carolina has moved into the second phase of reopening, the Old Baldy Foundation is thrilled to have reopened our gift shop on a regular schedule!
Gift Shop Hours:
Monday- Saturday 10-4 pm
Sunday 11-4 pm
**Hours will extend when the lighthouse is allowed to reopen**
We are eager to move into the third phase and have safety protocol and staff ready to reopen the lighthouse and museum when allowed!
If you plan on visiting us in our gift shop over the next few weeks as we are in phase two, please note the following safety protocol:
Only two shoppers allowed at one time in the shop
No cash will be accepted- only card transactions.
Face coverings will be required.
The bathroom facilities will remain closed.
Hand sanitizer will be available for all shoppers.
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Sum
mer long family friendly contest announced!
Join Old Baldy for a spirited competition this summer! Create or decorate a face mask inspired by BHI for a chance to win a weekend getaway on BHI this fall!
You can enter the contest as soon as today, or take your time as the deadline for entries is Sunday, August 2nd and the winners will be announced at our annual Lighthouse Day festival on Sunday, August 9th!
Contest judges will be announced in the next edition of the Keeper's Times!
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Update on Island Wide Historic Tours
With Bald Head Island still in a state of emergency, we are hesitant to start our historic tour program again given the high volume of day trips to BHI the program attracts. However, we want to present an offering to the BHI residents who are spending this unique time on the island.
We are presenting island-wide historic tours to anyone who has their own golf cart. The tour participants will drive in their cart behind our tour guide, who will be in a separate cart. The guide will make multiple stops all over the island at historically significant places. Then the guide will present the information in a socially distant matter!
Have you already taken the island-wide historic tour? Let our tour guide know you have already participated in this program, and the guide will tailor a special tour unique from the one you have already experienced.
**We are only booking tours on an individual basis, and our online booking system is temporarily unavailable. Please text Travis at 910-448-1472 to schedule a tour today! **
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Updated Calendar of Events
With many spring and early summer events postponed, the Old Baldy Foundation has adjusted our event calendar to find new, safe and innovative ways to honor our island and it's historical significance throughout the summer season!
**This calendar is subject to change as the Old Baldy Foundation plans to adhere to any and all guidelines set by Village and State officials. **
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Upcoming: 4th of July Golf Cart Parade
Please note the 4th of July Golf Cart Parade will be hosted on Friday, July 3rd, this year. Saturday is a high traffic day on the island due to rental turnovers. In discussion with the BHI Village, we determined it will be most efficient and safe to host the parade the prior day, on Friday, July 3rd, not to disrupt the wynds for travel on Saturday, July 4th.
Registration for the parade will be live within the next week! Announcements will be made on our social channels and website when registration is available, along with a direct link in the next edition of the Keeper's Time.
Also, please stay tuned as we make announcements for ways to facilitate this event while being mindful of social distancing regulations. In the next edition of the Keeper's Times, all measures that will be taken to operate the parade safely will be announced!
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Run for the Light- Sunday, August 9th
The Run for the Light course is a scenic run near coastal dunes and through the maritime forest on Bald Head Island, NC. The whole course features an all-asphalt surface, with splits and water at the 1-, 3- and 5-mile marks. This event is perfect to showcase some of North Carolina’s most beautiful beaches and beach cities – it will be one to mark off your bucket list!
Social Distancing but want to join the fun? Not on the island August 9th but want to dust off your running shoes? Join us for the race virtually. Race swag can be picked up or mailed to you!
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A Call for Volunteers!
This summer, more than ever, Old Baldy will be relying on the help of volunteers to safely control the flow of visitors to the Lighthouse.
We anticipate having to limit the guests in the Lighthouse for the immediate future. Implementing this will require the assistance of volunteers.
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Are you interested in volunteering?
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LOCATION
Old Baldy
DATE AND TIME
04/24/20
1:00pm -
08/31/20
5:00pm
If you are interested in volunteer opportunities please respond below! An Old Baldy staff member will reach out with more information!
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National Preservation Month
was celebrated in May!
In May, many historic sites, organizations, and museums honored National Preservation Month! The Old Baldy Foundation was incorporated in 1985 with the mission of preserving the Old Baldy Lighthouse, NC's oldest standing.
In the 35 years since the organization's formation, multiple preservation projects and efforts have taken place to allow the Lighthouse to stand tall today. Watch the video we created below to learn a little more about all of the work that goes into preserving a 200-year-old structure!
This work would not be possible without all of you! Together, we have created a gathering place to honor the history of our island and beyond. Every time you climb Old Baldy, you help us continue these preservation efforts to allow the Lighthouse to stand for generations to come.
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History Moment
James Henry Dosher has the honor of being the only lighthouse keeper at Old Baldy to be photographed on the job. Dosher posed for the camera one hundred and twenty-seven years ago, in May, 1893, when engineer Hebert Bamber took four photographs of Old Baldy for the U.S. Lighthouse Service. The photographs capture the life of Keeper Dosher, who was the longest-serving keeper at Old Baldy Lighthouse.
Dosher was born on July 13, 1843, outside Smithville (now Southport), North Carolina. Dosher's father, Charles Gause Dosher, served as a Cape Fear pilot, and his mother, Susan Dunbar Davis, descended from the earliest settlers of Smithville. When the Civil War broke out, Dosher was eighteen and enlisted as a Sergeant in the 30th North Carolina Infantry. With the 30th North Carolina, Dosher fought in battles such as Antietam and Gettysburg before the war's end. He left the Confederate military as a 1st Lieutenant and returned to Brunswick County.
On year after the Civil War, James Henry Dosher married Rebecca Guthrie, the daughter of Archibald Menzies Guthrie, a famed pilot of the blockade runner
Robert E. Lee
during the war. Together, James and Rebecca raised seven children to adulthood: Annie, Gertrude, Susan, Frederick, Lillian, Catherine, and Esther. At least the younger children, including Lillian, Catherine, and Esther, spent some of their childhood on Bald Head Island.
Dosher began his career with the United States Lighthouse Service as Keeper of the Frying Pan Lightship in 1881. On October 13, 1882, Dosher was appointed Keeper of Old Baldy Lighthouse, inaugurating a thirty-one year career at the light station. Keeper Dosher witnessed monumental changes in the Lower Cape Fear while serving at Old Baldy Lighthouse. During Dosher's tenure, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers closed New Inlet with the Rocks. In 1886, Dosher was atop Old Baldy when the infamous Charleston Earthquake occurred. Dosher reported a tremor lasting ten seconds, resulting in broken equipment. Later, in May, 1893, Dosher stood for Herbert Bamber's four photographs, which represent the first known photographs of Old Baldy Lighthouse. In several of the pictures, Dosher's daughters Lillian and Catherine are depicted. According to newspaper accounts, Dosher hosted frequent curious visitors to Old Baldy and several Methodist Sunday School services during the summer.
Eventually, the lighthouse service constructed a second lighthouse on Bald Head Island. The new lighthouse, named Cape Fear Light Station, began operations on August 31, 1903. A few days later, on September 8, 1903, Dosher's title at the old lighthouse changed from Keeper to Laborer in Charge. Incidentally, the lighthouse service decreased Dosher's pay from $720 to $240 a year. Dosher appealed their decision and negotiated an annual salary of $560. The final major development during Dosher's tenure was Old Baldy's renovation during the early 20th century, including the construction of the Oil House in 1905 and the construction of a new keeper's cottage. This keeper's cottage, the third on Old Baldy's grounds, was the final keeper's cottage.
Within a decade, Old Baldy's lantern changed to an acetyl automatic system, at which point Dosher retired from service in 1913. In the final years of his life, James Henry Dosher lived at a house on Southport's West West Street. His next-door neighbor was Charles Norton Swan, the keeper of Cape Fear Light Station on Bald Head. Dosher died on June 23, 1934, at the age of ninety. He rests in the Old Smithville Burying Grounds.
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Memorial Bricks
The spring order of
Memorial Bricks has unfortunately been canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Not to worry, we are proceeding with an order this fall.
Honor a family member or loved one by personalizing a memorial brick to have laid in our walkway! The rich history of Bald Head is ever-evolving, and this is the perfect way to be a part of our story while supporting our cause!
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Thank you to our 2020 Annual Sponsors!
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