The Georgetown Lighthouse
Built in 1801 out of cypress wood, the lighthouse on North Island guided passenger and trade ships from the Atlantic through Winyah Bay and into the thriving port city of Georgetown. When a hurricane ripped it apart in 1806, a second lighthouse was built in its place, this time with bricks and mortar. Completed in 1811, the 90-foot structure has survived countless storms. It has also served as a lookout post during the Civil War and a safe haven for escaped slaves seeking safe passage on Union vessels. The tower was manned during World War I and World War II. More recently in the 1980s, it was used as a camp for troubled teenage boys.
After the adjacent keeper’s house burned down in 1958, a Coast Guard crew manned the lighthouse until 1986 when the light was automated. According to Justin McIntyre, curator of the South Carolina Maritime Museum, “Georgetonians are very proud of their lighthouse. The fact that it is still guiding vessels in and out of Winyah Bay after all these years is amazing and the real story.”
McClellanville’s Lighthouse Island
Further down the coast near McClellanville is Lighthouse Island, named for its two towers that still stand today. Built in 1827, the shorter structure was deemed ineffective and a second, taller building was then constructed in 1858. Standing at 150-feet high, this building stayed in operation until just before World War II, its light guiding ships that would have otherwise floundered on the shoals of Cape Romain.
According to Randall McClure, director of McClellanville’s Village Museum, the last time the lighthouse was inspected by the federal government was 1963. Currently, the dilapidated interiors are unsafe to enter. McClure added that the nonprofit Cape Romain Lighthouse Preservation Society is working on weatherizing and stabilizing the historical tower. Call 843-887-3030 to inquire about making a donation.
While all lighthouses have stories, the tall tower has a secret so steeped in mystery that it has never been solved. One sultry August evening in 1873, the lightkeeper mounted the triangular stairs that spiraled to the top of the tower. There he lit the Fresnel lens with a gallon of kerosene each day before sunset. When he returned to his keeper’s house that particular night, he found his wife dead, her throat slashed. Her jewelry had gone missing, along with the cash she had recently brought back from their bank in Charleston. Because of the remoteness of the island and surrounding tides, police had difficulty approaching the crime scene to investigate. Newspapers reported that the tragedy was ruled a suicide. On his deathbed, however, the lighthouse keeper admitted that he had murdered his wife. The jewelry and cash were never found.
The “Charleston Light” on Sullivan’s Island
Known as the “Charleston Light,” the 162.5-foot lighthouse on Sullivan’s Island is one of the most modern towers in the U.S. Construction on the landmark began in 1960 and was first lit on June 15, 1962. Still in operation, the lighthouse is equipped with an elevator and air conditioning to simplify Coast Guard maintenance checks.
The Charleston Light was recorded as the last major lighthouse in the United States built by the federal government. It was also the second brightest lighthouse in the Western Hemisphere, according to Fort Moultrie National Historical Park. The Charleston Light was erected to replace the defunct Morris Island Light, which was rebuilt in the 1870s after being destroyed in the Civil War.
Approaching vessels in the Charleston Harbor can see the flash of the Charleston Light’s 1.2-million candlepower beam from more than 25 miles offshore.
By Sarah Rose
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