Rick's Electronic Lighthouse Magazine
Spring 1999
Lighthouses Near Hilton Head Island, South Carolina
Hilton Head Island is a popular destination for the rich and famous and for lighthouse lovers as well. Along with golf courses, tennis courts, and million dollar homes, it has public beaches and LIGHTHOUSES. Along with the "just for fun" lighthouse at Harbour Town, there are two historical lighthouses within an hour's drive of Hilton Head Island. Hunting Island Lighthouse is to the north near the town of Beaufort, and Tybee Island Lighthouse is to the south near the city of Savannah, Georgia.
Although this is not a "true" lighthouse in that it has always been privately owned and is not a U.S. Coast Guard navigational beacon, this lighthouse is well known, especially to golfers. Built in 1970 as the center piece for the harbor at the exculsive Sea Pines development on Hilton Head Island, this lighthouse serves as a beautiful backdrop for the 18th hole of the Harbour Town Golf Links and it is seen by millions on TV each year during the MCI Classic. The lighthouse is open to the public and you can climb to the top for a view of the beautiful harbor (There is a fee to enter the resort and a nominal fee to enter the lighthouse). The lighthouse was completely renovated during the winter of 1999, with major repairs being completed along with a new coat of paint. For a Webcam view of this lighthouse, updated every five minutes, check out the following link: http://www.harbourtown.com
Hunting Island Lighthouse
About an hour's drive north of Hilton Head Island, through the town of Beaufort, is Hunting Island Lighthouse. This is the third Hunting Island Lighthouse, with the earliest being built in 1859. History is not clear on what happened to this light, but a new cast iron tower was built in 1875. Within a few years, both the lighthouse and the keeper's quarters were being threatened by sea erosion. After jetties and revetments proved ineffective against the sea, the tower was dismantled and reassembled over a mile from the old site in 1889. The light was deactivated in 1933 and replaced by bouys.
The tower fell into disrepair for many years, but was recently restored and is the centerpiece for Hunting Island State Park. Along with the tower, there is a small museum, a beach area with guest services, and rental cabins in the park. The tower is open to the public and the view from top is well worth the climb.
Tybee Island Lighthouse
Tybee Island is a short distance from the historic city of Savannah, Georgia, which is about an hour's drive south of Hilton Head Island. This is the oldest active light station in the southeast, with four towers serving this location. The first was a 90 foot wooden tower built in 1736 to serve as a daymark. It was destroyed in a storm in 1741 and replaced with a similar tower in 1742 that may have been lighted before it also fell to the elements around 1771. During the period 1771-1773, a 100 foot brick tower was constructed. This tower was lighted at first with spermacetti candles, later with whale oil lamps and reflectors and finally in 1857 with a second order fresnel lens.
During the Civil War, Confederates set fire to the wooden interior staircase to prevent the tower's use by Union forces. This didn't prevent the Union army from using the tower as a lookout during its attack on nearby Fort Pulaski. If visiting a fort with a moat and a drawbridge sounds interesting, a visit to Fort Pulaski National Monument is suggested (lighthouse lovers are in for surprise there too). After the war, the lower 60 feet of the original tower was used as a foundation to construct a new 154 foot tower. This tower was completed in 1867 and fitted with a first-order fresnel lens. The tower remained unpainted until 1916, when it was painted black with a white center band. In 1964, the daymark was changed again by painting the bottom third white and the top two-thirds black, as pictured above.
As part of a half a million dollar renovation completed in February 1999, the daymark has been returned to the prior pattern. I have not been able to visit the "new" lighthouse yet, but from what I have heard, The Tybee Island Historical Society and its supporters can be commended for a job well done! The Tybee Island site is a special treat to visit because all of its support buildings are intact. The grounds and tower are open to the public, along with a museum and giftshop.
This web site is published just for fun as way to combine my hobbies of photography, computers, and lighthouses. Please feel free to download any photos for your personal use and enjoyment; however, any commercial use is prohibited wihout prior permission. Please send any comments to
Rick Sturgill(rcsturgill@aol.com). Thanks for stopping by!
Hilton Head Island, South Carolina
Hunting Island State Park, South Carolina
Tybee Island, Georgia
