September 9th, 2021
The Keeper's Times 

The Old Baldy Foundation Community Newsletter
Hours of Operation at Old Baldy

Tuesday- Saturday: 10-4
(last lighthouse climb at 3:30 pm)
Closed Sunday & Monday
COVID-19 Safety Updates

Given the continued threat of COVID-19, the Old Baldy Foundation strongly encourages individuals to wear a mask while entering our gift shop, museum, and lighthouse. Participants of our island-wide historic tour will be required to wear a mask due to the proximity in which you are seated on our golf cart. We are closely following the directives of government officials and will update our safety protocols to comply with any forthcoming regulations. 
Historic Happy Hour
Septemeber 15th
5pm

Hurricanes are an inevitably in the Cape Fear. The residents of Bald Head Island, in particular, know how to brace for them and pick up the pieces after them.
But how have the storms of the past shaped the island and the region historically?

Join the Old Baldy Foundation on Sept. 15 to learn about that very question with special guest Jay Barnes, the author of the renowned book “North Carolina’s Hurricane History.” The ever-worsening topic has resulted in four editions of his book, with plenty of research and information to show how the Cape Fear has battened down the hatches to weather Mother Nature’s wrath time and time again.

During his program, he will discuss the major storms in the Cape Fear region, from the colonial 1761 storm that opened the consequential New Inlet to 1954’s Hurricane Hazel that redefined hurricane preparedness in the Carolinas.
Come listen to Jay Barnes’ informative hurricane history and indulge in wine and craft beer all in the shadow of Old Baldy, North Carolina’s oldest still-standing lighthouse.
Need a destination for your tour group?

Are you looking for an activity for your group while you visit the lower cape fear?! Old Baldy can customize a tour with our educated historians for a group of any size! 

Pictured is a group from Holiday Tours enjoying Old Baldy as our educator Hunter orients the group with the stories of war, storm, development, and more that have shaped Bald Head Island. Old Baldy has stood sentinel watching the Cape Fear river for over 200 years. Come enjoy an experience learning all about the history Old Baldy has witnessed.
Volunteers Needed!

Speaking of group tours, Old Baldy is searching for volunteers to assist with these special programs! Volunteers are needed to drive golf carts with tour attendees around this island led by our experienced guides. The entire experience is outdoors and all attendees are masked for safety. Ferry tickets will be provided for off island volunteers. Support Old Baldy, enjoy showing off the magic of BHI to members of other communities, and delight in a afternoon spent driving through the picturesque wynds of the island!

Volunteers are needed on the following dates:
September 15th
September 16th
September 22nd
October 6th
October 7th
October 13th
Be a part of Old Baldy's legacy with our memorial brick program! 

Our Memorial Brick Walkway is continuously growing. This is the perfect opportunity to commemorate a special moment in your life as part of the history of Bald Head Island!

The Memorial Bricks are installed twice a year and the deadline for the next installation is September 15th 2021. Order your brick before that date, and your brick will be installed later this year!

 By purchasing a brick, you can add to the ever-growing story of Bald Head Island by memorializing a special moment to you on our brick walkway. All proceeds from the Memorial Bricks go directly to the preservation and maintenance of the Old Baldy Lighthouse.
Old Baldy to co-host U.S. Life-Saving Service Heritage Conference!


History lives in every corner of Bald Head Island, but few stories of the past run as deep as the Cape Fear Life-Saving Station. First built on East Beach in 1882, the station was staffed with a crew of surfmen and keepers who kept a watchful eye on the waters around the island, particularly Frying Pan Shoals. Should a vessel find themselves in distress, the crew of the Life-Saving Station were charged with rescuing them, no matter the conditions. It was a dangerous job that never guaranteed safety, but it did show the fortitude of its men.

This month, The Old Baldy Foundation will join with the N.C. Maritime Museum at Southport and the Historic Wilmington Foundation to virtually co-host the annual conference for the U.S. Life-Saving Service Heritage Association, a group of descendants and admirers looking to further the legacy of the federal agency that spawned the Cape Fear Life-Saving Station and the Oak Island Life-Saving Station. Lighthouse Collections Coordinator McAllie Givens will dig into Old Baldy's archives for a virtual presentation showcasing our wealth of Life-Saving Service artifacts, including a wreck log and rare black powder canister. Givens will also offer up research she has done in recent months looking into the men who served the station and their final resting places in area cemeteries. Although virtual, the conference offers the Foundation an enriching chance to engage with this era of Bald Head's history and some of its most passionate stewards from across the country.
  Visit us at www.oldbaldy.org and the following platforms!