Home to North America’s tallest brick lighthouse standing at 208 feet tall, Buxton is the hub for all things Hatteras Island. The present lighthouse was built in 1870 and still serves the purpose of warning sailors of the island’s treacherous Diamond Shoals. In 1999, the lighthouse made a historic move inland, farther out of the reach of the ever-encroaching Atlantic. The lighthouse keeper’s quarters serve as a museum and gift shop and the lighthouse itself is still open for climbing seasonally.
Buxton also houses one of the largest spans of barrier island maritime fo