Currituck Beach Lighthouse
Chronological List of Former Keepers
Be sure to visitthis site for a history of this lighthouse.
Permission to post this information is given by Outer Banks Conservationists,
Inc. -
©
1999
Year | Keeper | 1st Assistant | 2nd Assistant |
1875 |
N.H. Burris Appt.: Oct. 12, 1875 |
Lewis Napoleon Simmons Appt.: Nov. 23, 1875 |
Thomas J. Everton Appt.: Nov. 23, 1875 |
1876 | N.H. Burris | Lewis Napoleon Simmons | Thomas J. Everton |
1877 | N.H. Burris |
Lewis Napoleon Simmons Removed: April 26, 1877 Horatio William Heath Appt.: April 26, 1877 |
Thomas J. Everton |
1878 | N.H. Burris | Horatio William Heath | Thomas J. Everton |
1879 |
N.H. Burris Removed: Dec. 12, 1879 Lewis Napoleon Simmons Acting: Dec. 23, 1879 |
Horatio William Heath | Thomas J. Everton |
1880 | Lewis Napoleon Simmons | Horatio William Heath |
Thomas J. Everton Removed: Sept. 9, 1880 F.W. Bell Appt.: Oct. 12, 1880 |
1881 |
Lewis Napoleon Simmons Removed: Jan. 29, 1881 William Shinnault Acting: Feb. 1, 1881 |
Horatio William Heath | F.W. Bell |
1882 |
William Shinnault Transferred: May 25, 1882 William Scott Acting: May 25, 1882 |
Horatio William Heath |
F.W. Bell Resigned: May 16, 1882 Thomas P. Reid Appt: May 16, 1882 |
1883 | William Scott | Horatio William Heath | Thomas P. Reid |
1884 |
William Scott Resigned: Sept. 26, 1884 Amasa J. Simpson Acting: Sept. 26, 1884 |
Horatio William Heath | Thomas P. Reid |
1885 |
Amasa J. Simpson Appt.: June 16, 1885 |
Horatio William Heath Removed: June 13, 1885 Fabius E. Simpson Appt.: June 16, 1885 |
Thomas P. Reid Removed: June 13, 1885 George W. Wallace Appt.: June 24, 1885 |
1886 | Amasa J. Simpson | Fabius E. Simpson |
George W. Wallace Removed: Feb. 25, 1886 Charles E. Ansell Appt.: March 29, 1886 |
1887 | Amasa J. Simpson | Fabius E. Simpson | Charles E. Ansell |
1888 |
Amasa J. Simpson Transferred: June 29, 1888 Lazarus G. Hinnant Appt: June 1888 |
Fabius E. Simpson | Charles E. Ansell |
1889 | Lazarus G. Hinnant | Fabius E. Simpson | Charles E. Ansell |
1890 | Lazarus G. Hinnant | Fabius E. Simpson | Charles E. Ansell |
1891 | Lazarus G. Hinnant | Fabius E. Simpson |
Charles E.
Ansell Removed: May 23, 1891 William Riley Austin Appt.: June 2, 1891 |
1892 | Lazarus G. Hinnant | Fabius E. Simpson | William Riley Austin |
1893 | Lazarus G. Hinnant |
Fabius E. Simpson Transferred: Nov. 15, 1893 Wesley Austin Appt: Nov. 15, 1893 |
William Riley Austin |
1894 | Lazarus G. Hinnant | Wesley Austin | William Riley Austin |
1895 |
Lazarus G. Hinnant Transferred: July 1, 1895 William J. Simmons Acting: July 1895 |
Wesley Austin | William Riley Austin |
1896 |
William Joseph Simmons App.t: April 2, 1896 |
Wesley Austin | William Riley Austin |
1897 | William Joseph Simmons | Wesley Austin | William Riley Austin |
1898 | William Joseph Simmons | Wesley Austin | William Riley Austin |
1899 | William Joseph Simmons | Wesley Austin | William Riley Austin |
1900 | William Joseph Simmons | Wesley Austin | William Riley Austin |
1901 | William Joseph Simmons | Wesley Austin | William Riley Austin |
1902 | William Joseph Simmons | Wesley Austin | William Riley Austin |
1903 | William Joseph Simmons | Wesley Austin | William Riley Austin |
1904 | William Joseph Simmons | Wesley Austin | William Riley Austin |
1905 |
William Joseph Simmons Resigned: Sept. 24, 1905 Nathan H. Swain Appt.: October 1, 1905 |
Wesley Austin | William Riley Austin |
1906 | Nathan H. Swain | Wesley Austin | William Riley Austin |
1907 | Nathan Hooker Swain | Wesley Austin | William Riley Austin |
1908 | Nathan Hooker Swain | Wesley Austin | William Riley Austin |
1909 | Nathan Hooker Swain | Wesley Austin | William Riley Austin |
1910 | Nathan Hooker Swain | Wesley Austin | William Riley Austin |
1911 | Nathan Hooker Swain | Wesley Austin | William Riley Austin |
1912 | Nathan Hooker Swain | Wesley Austin | William Riley Austin |
1913 | Nathan Hooker Swain | Wesley Austin | William Riley Austin |
1914 | Nathan Hooker Swain | William Riley Austin | |
1915 | Nathan Hooker Swain | William Riley Austin | |
1916 | Nathan Hooker Swain | William Riley Austin | George Garner Johnson |
1917 | Nathan Hooker Swain | William Riley Austin | George Garner Johnson |
1918 | Nathan Hooker Swain | William Riley Austin | George Garner Johnson |
1919 | Nathan Hooker Swain | William Riley Austin | George Garner Johnson |
1920 | Nathan Hooker Swain | William Riley Austin | George Garner Johnson |
1921 | Loren Edward Tillett | William Riley Austin | |
1922 | Loren Edward Tillett | William Riley Austin | |
1923 | Loren Edward Tillett | William Riley Austin | |
1924 | Loren Edward Tillett | William Riley Austin | |
1925 | Loren Edward Tillett | William Riley Austin | |
1926 | Loren Edward Tillett | William Riley Austin | |
1927 | Loren Edward Tillett | William Riley Austin | |
1928 | Loren Edward Tillett | Homer Tredwell Austin | |
1929 | Loren Edward Tillett | Homer Tredwell Austin | |
1930 | Loren Edward Tillett |
Homer Tredwell Austin James Benjamin Cox |
|
1931 | Homer Tredwell Austin | James Benjamin Cox | |
1932 | Homer Tredwell Austin | James Benjamin Cox | |
1933 | Homer Tredwell Austin | James Benjamin Cox | |
1934 | Homer Tredwell Austin | James Benjamin Cox | |
1935 | Homer Tredwell Austin | James Benjamin Cox | |
1936 | Homer Tredwell Austin | James Benjamin Cox | |
1937 | William James Tate, Inspector | Bill Lindsay, assistant | |
1938 | William James Tate, Inspector | Bill Lindsay, assistant | |
1939 | William James Tate, Inspector | ||
In 1939 the Currituck Beach Lighthouse was automated and the keepers were removed. The U.S. Coast Guard assumed responsibility for the lighthouse. Lloyd Vernon Gaskill was the Lighthouse Tender and Commanding Officer of North Landing Aids to Navigation. |
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Beginning in 1940 the maintenance of the light came under the direction of the U.S. Coast Guard personnel form the Office of Aids to Navigation for Northeastern North Carolina. In 1940 when the U.S. Coast Guard took over the Currituck Beach Lighthouse members of the USCG stationed at the Currituck Beach Lifeboat Station maintained the Lighthouse. Their duties included charging the batteries, cleaning the lends, cutting the grass and painting the interior of the lighthouse. A garage located in what is now the staff parking lot was turned into a stable for the horses used in riding the beached during World War II. Hay was stored at both the keeper's houses. Lloyd Vernon Gaskill was the Lighthouse Tender and Commanding Officer of North Landing Aids to Navigation. | |||
In about 1947, after the end of the war, the Currituck Beach Lifeboat Station was closed and the care and maintenance of the Currituck Beach Lighthouse was taken over by members of the U.S. Coast Guard from Caffey's Inlet. | |||
In 1955, when electricity became available to the Corolla area, there was no further need to charge batteries but there was now a need to maintain a generator for use in the event electricity failed. This, along with cleaning the lens, cutting the grass and painting the interior, continued to be done by members of the Coast Guard until 1963. Lamplighters, civilian personnel hired by the U.S. Coast Guard, took over the duty of maintaining the generator, caring for the light and cleaning the lens in 1963. | |||
1964 - 1993 Gene Austin, Lamplighter, cared for the light and maintained the generator that was necessary to light the beacon in the event that electricity failed. | |||
1994 Debbie Westner, site manager and Keeper | |||
1995 Debbie Westner, site manager and Keeper | Pat Riley | ||
1996 Debbie Westner, site manager and Keeper | Pat Riley | ||
1997 Lloyd Childers, Keeper & Executive Director of Outer Banks Conservationists, Inc. | Pat Riley | ||
1998 Lloyd Childers | Pat Riley | ||
1999 Lloyd Childers | Pat Riley |
© 2005Kay Midgett Sheppard