The scaffolding is going up around the iconic black-and-white lighthouse at Cape Hatteras on North Carolina's Outer Banks. It's part of a major restoration project that's been in planning stages for a decade.

The sand, salt and wind have taken their toll on the lighthouse, corroding metal elements and wearing down brick and mortar.

The $19-million restoration project is expected to take 18 months to finish, according to the National Park Service. Park officials said visitors should be able to start climbing the lighthouse again in summer 2026.

The project includes repairing the masonry, windows and marble flooring. The Park Service is also replacing the lantern and rotating lens for the lighthouse beacon. The new lens will be a replica of the original, but with LED lights behind the beacon. 

Contractors will also repaint the black-and-white barber stripes running up the lighthouse. 

The National Park Service and the lead contractors, Stone & Lime Historic Restoration Services, are paying attention to details big and small to make the restoration as historically accurate as possible.

A photo from inside the lighthouse shows where bricks have been damaged and need to be replaced. (National Park Service)

Most of the 198.5-foot lighthouse is made of brick, which posed its own problems for the restoration. Brick in 2024 is not the same as it was 150 years ago. 

"Finding a perfect match to the original 1870 bricks and mortar takes time. Prior to any brick/stone/mortar matching, the masonry will be washed down as to not match the soiled brick," park officials said on Facebook. 

The Park Service said they had to order 1.25 million custom bricks for the job. These bricks are a little longer and not quite as tall.

They are also working to match the color of the brick and the mortar to the original masonry, the Park Service said.

The restoration will include detailed work re-pointing the bricks that make up the lighthouse.

"What does it mean to 'repoint' the masonry? Deteriorated mortar will be removed as to not damage existing surrounding masonry and historic fabric. Joints will be cleaned out, and mortar will be re-applied to the joint and finished to match surrounding mortar joints," the Park Service said.

This is the biggest restoration project on the Hatteras Lighthouse since 1999, when it was moved inland almost 3,000 feet to protect the structure from coastal erosion.