The Outer Banks' newest lighthouse is also its smallest. Instead of a brick beacon towering over a barrier-island beach, this lighthouse is more akin to a lightkeeper's house perched over the water. The original 1857 screwpile lighthouse that aided mariners in Croatan Sound was a cottage built over the water, with the lighthouse serving as both beacon and residence. The reconstructed lighthouse was opened in 2004 by the Town of Manteo, in cooperation with the NC Maritime Museum and Roanoke Island Festival Park. Located at the end of the pier on the Manteo Wateerfront, the lighthouse contains exhibits highlighting Roanoke Island's maritime history and information on the lighthouse and its keepers.