Lighthouse Hunters - Sullivan's Island

Sullivan's Island Lighthouse, Sullivan's Island, SC 

Operated by the US Coastguard the oddly shaped lighthouse on Sullivan's Island is owned by the National Park Service.

Being one of the newer lighthouses on the coastline had its perks. Unlike historic lighthouse structures which are still in operation, and which feature hundreds of stairs for personnel to ascend to the top, the Sullivan's Island Lighthouse features an elevator as well as air conditioning, ensuring that the Coast Guard personnel who operate and perform regular maintenance checks on the lighting fixture can do so without excessive heat, or a long climb. In addition, the triangular design allows the structure to withstand hurricane force winds of up to 125 mph - a definite plus in a coastal region that has regular ferocious storms every few decades or so.

The comments on Trip Advisor won't bring in many visitors but did make me laugh. Wow! These folks were not impressed with our quirkily designed lighthouse.

• It's not pretty for sure. 
• Unable to get close to lighthouse. Not open to public. Cool bunkers close-by. It has a unique shape - unlike other lighthouses. Actually, it's unattractive.  
• Neat to see but could be better.
• My wife called it ugly but I though it was very interesting.
• But I have to give the Sullivan's Island Light the award as hands-down the ugliest lighthouse I have ever seen.
• This is NOT open to the public and it REALLY needs a paintjob. Probably the ugliest lighthouse I have ever seen.
• This is the strangest looking lighthouse I've ever seen. It looks more like an air traffic control tower than a lighthouse. 
• Took the kids to see the lighthouse but was disappointed we couldn't go inside. I thought we would be able to climb the steps inside but it's right by beach access so we went to the beach. Visit wasn't a complete waste of time.
• Ugly lighthouse. It's behind a fence with not much of a view and has no tour or information or anything. The wife, who is a huge lighthouse fan, wouldn't even get out of the car. Do yourself a favor and skip it.

Lighthouse Hunters - Morris Island

Morris Island Lighthouse, Folly Beach, SC   

I've been checking the lighthouses up and down the coast of South Carolina and Georgia off my list and had neglected to get updated shots of the two in our own backyard, the Morris Island Lighthouse and the one on Sullivan's Island. I took care of that today. Two for one!

We started on on Folly Beach, going to the end of East Atlantic and walking the rest of the way, about 1/4 mile in to the closest beachfront to see the lighthouse. It is a beautiful area with dramatic driftwood and clearly a popular fishing spot. The Save the Light organization is dedicating to preserving and restoring the lighthouse and recently worked to have the light actually lit to celebrate it's 140 anniversary. 

Built in 1767 at the southern entrance to Charleston, the original tower was destroyed during the Civil War. The new tower, built in 1876, stands 161 ft. with 201 steps leading to its top. The beacon was extinguished in 1962. The red and white striped tower is visible from James Island as well as Folly Beach.

Looking across the harbor we could see the Sullivan's Island lighthouse blinking at us and headed there for the afternoon and a luncheon date with a dear friend. A worthwhile day indeed!

Cape Romain Lighthouse Tour

Cape Romain Ligfthouse, Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge, McClellanville, SC  

The only reason I had the chance to snag a couple of the last tickets for the Cape Romain lighthouse tour was because it had been rescheduled due to the hurricane. The tours are only done four times a year. Lucky me!

Our tour started at the Seewee Visitor Center for a slide show and history presentation by Tommy Graham who has championed the preservation of the lighthouse and done much of the hands on work himself.  He had a wealth of historical information and photographs of the lighthouse keepers to share.

The Cape Romain Lighthouses are a pair of brick lighthouses on Lighthouse Island southeast of McClellanville. The first, built in 1827, and stand 65 feet in height. The second, built in 1857, stands at a height of 150 feet. Both survived Hurricane Hugo in 1989, and although no longer active, they still serve as a visual navigation point during daylight hours. They can also be seen on our department patch. These are truly treasuers of the Cape Romain Wildlife Refuge.

Following the presentation we drove on to the McClellanville boat landing to board the Coastal Expeditions boat. The trip was six miles and we couldn't have had a finer day. We nibbled on our picnic as the lighthouses came into view. We had been warned that we might get our feet muddy walking to the lighthouse but to my surprise the boat ramp had us stepping off into water and slippery black pluff mud well over our knees. All the members of our group were good sports as water overflowed and filled boots. One lady took a slip but bravely held her camera high above the water and we all made it. 

Both of the light houses had been opened for us to explore at the base but the steps were too dangerous to climb. Renovation was in progress thanks to Tommy Graham's efforts. The foundation of the old Lighthouse Keeper's home, cistern, and old buoy and a few other items were still there to explore. Swarms of mosquitoes were out in full force and after exploring we waded back through the water (with a walking stick this time!) to the boat.  

There is one more tour for this year on November 20th. 

Tybee Island Lighthouse

Tybee Island Lighthouse, Tybee Island, GA

I had my eye on the sky hoping for a good backdrop for lighthouse pictures and got lucky! We had bright blue skies and white billowy clouds for our lighthouse adventure. What a pretty setting it is with the lighthouse keeper's cottage decorating with many of the original furnishings. I climbed the 178 steps to the top and had a good view of the island. 

The Tybee Island Light Station, originally constructed in 1736, is Georgia’s oldest, tallest lighthouse and one of America’s most complete historic light station complexes. It has guided mariners safely into the Savannah River for close to 300 years. All of its original support buildings are still located on the five-acre site off US-80 at Fort Screven. Still a functioning navigational aid, the station’s light, courtesy of a first order Fresnel lens, can be seen 18 miles offshore. Visitors willing to climb the 178 steps to the top of the recently restored lighthouse will enjoy a spectacular view of the entire island.

Lighthouse Hunting - Georgetown

Georgetown, SC 

I've been checking the lighthouses in South Carolina off of my list lately. The Georgetown lighthouse is visible from the water so it required a little planning and a boat ride to view it. There are two companies offering lighthouse and shelling trip from G-Town and for more convenient timing we took Cap'n Rod's tour which left at noon. The trips are popular and fill up so reservations are the best plan. There is a lot of history around Georgetown and I'd like to return for the plantation tour. We saw many beautiful plantation buildings through the woods.

We didn't get off at the lighthouse since it is still in operation but had a good view as we sailed by. We had close to an hour and a half on North Island to explore the boneyard beach and shell. Visitors were allowed to take shells and to carry pieces of driftwood of a size that one person could carry.

Begun in 1799 and lighted in 1801, the Georgetown Lighthouse is the oldest active lighthouse in South Carolina and one of the oldest in existence on the south Atlantic coast. However, a tablet above the entrance notes 1811 as the date of erection, differing from the nomination form’s conclusion. During the Civil War, the lighthouse was used by the Confederates as an observation post until it was captured by Union forces in May 1862. The lighthouse tower, in the shape of a truncated cone, is 87 feet tall. The stairs and center supporting post were cut from solid stone, and the outer walls are of brick. The light was rebuilt in 1812 and 1867. The lighthouse complex is in a cleared area of scrub-covered sand dunes and includes several one-story buildings that form the Coast Guard station, a dock on Winyah Bay, and a radio tower. Listed in the National Register December 30, 1974.

Lighthouse Hunting - Hilton Head Harbor Town

Hilton Head Harbor Town Lighthouse, Hilton Head, SC   

We found two lighthouses in one day in the Hilton Head area. Jackpot! The Hilton Head Harbor Town lighthouse is fairy-tale candy-cane pretty and we enjoyed the view as we ate our lunch at an outside diner. You pay $6 cash to go through the gates into Sea Pines and another small charge to climb the lighthouse. There are bits of historical memorabilia and photographs at each landing.

At the heart of his Sea Pines Resort development, Fraser envisioned an “intimate harbor village with low-country ambience seasoned by the influence of the small distinctive ports along the coast of southern France and Italy.” To achieve this affect, Fraser flew his design team over dozens of small Mediterranean harbors so they could capture the unique coastal charm of places like Portofino, Italy. The result is Harbour Town with its marina, shops, restaurants, and striped lighthouse. 

Construction on the octagonal Harbour Town Lighthouse began in 1969 and was completed in the spring of 1970. Those who questioned the effectiveness of building such a structure to attract boaters from the Intracoastal Waterway called the tower “Fraser’s Folly.” Within a decade, however, the lighthouse was acclaimed a “stroke of genius.” Positioned as the backdrop for the final hole of the Harbour Town Golf Links, the tower has made many an appearance on golf telecasts. The red and white lighthouse, seen by millions of tourists, boaters, and golfers, has become a widely recognized landmark and a symbol for all of Hilton Head Island.

Lighthouse Hunting - Rear Range Lighthouse

Rear Range Lighthouse, Hilton Head, SC   

Having a destination is a good way to spark a day trip and lately I've been checking lighthouses off my list. Along with my good friend Rosie who enjoys a drive, I aim to be the best possible passenger and track down unique sights to see. Last weekend we found the Hunting Island Lighthouse and this weekend we went back in the same general direction with the Hilton Head Harbor lighthouse (photos to follow) in mind. I read about another one rather off the beaten track so jotted down the address thinking we might kill two birds with one stone.

We had a nice lunch in Harbor Town with the candy striped lighthouse behind us and then went in search of the Rear Range or Leamington Lighthouse. Tricky! Luckily I had read directions since we were in a private community and had to stop at two guard gates. The magic words were, "we are looking for the lighthouse" and they opened the gates for us. SCIWAY has some good info here and more below from the Palmetto Dunes web site:

This distinctive structure, now located in the Leamington neighborhood in Palmetto Dunes, was built between 1879 and 1880 as part of a larger system of navigation lights guiding ships into Port Royal Sound. The original lighthouse complex included a keeper’s house, forward beacon and rear lighthouse. Today, only the 94-foot Rear Lighthouse survives, along with a vintage brick oil house and a water cistern located on site. Sheltered by towering pine trees, the main lighthouse structure, which is now inactive, consists of a unique cast iron skeleton, a cylindrical stair tower, a wooden watch room and a cypress lantern room. 

A number of interesting ghost stories and legends surround this historic lighthouse. In 1898, a major hurricane lashed the South Carolina coast. Determined to keep the light burning, lighthouse keeper Adam Fripp died of a heart attack during the storm. At his urging, Fripp’s 21-year-old daughter, Caroline, kept the navigational light burning in the wake of her father’s death, but she passed away only three weeks later, inspiring haunted sightings of a female ghost in a long blue dress on dark, rainy nights. The lighthouse, which originally included a wooden exterior, was deactivated in 1932. During World War II, however, the structure served as an important lookout tower for enemy ships and anchored Camp McDougal, a network of U.S. Marine temporary barracks and ammunition sheds. Greenwood Communities and Resorts, the parent company of Palmetto Dunes, restored this historic structure in 1985 and opened the lighthouse grounds to the public. 

It was a treat to find hidden in the trees and I appreciate the community being so understanding of the lighthouse appeal.

Hunting Island Lighthouse

Hunting Island Lighthouse, Hunting Island, SC    

Beautiful Beaufort By the Sea is always a good lunch spot destination for a day trip but thanks to Charleston Daily's recent photo blog of the lighthouse at Hunting Island we went a little further to explore. Glad we did! What a beautiful spot. It might be the start of a new lighthouse hunting series.

Lighthouse History & FeaturesThe first lighthouse was destroyed by the confederates during the beginning of the Civil War to prevent the Union from using it as a means of navigation. It was rebuilt and placed back into service in 1875. The purpose of this lighthouse was to warn ships to stay far away, as there are many hazards such as sandbars, wrecks, surf and treacherous currents. It was deactivated in June of 1933.

A unique feature of this lighthouse is that it was constructed using cast iron plates and designed to be dismantled in case it ever needed to be relocated. As fate would have it, due to erosion of the beach in 1889, the lighthouse was moved inland 1 1/4 miles from its original site to where it presently stands.