Lighthouses of South Carolina

The U.S. state of South Carolina has a relatively short and straight coastline facing southeast on the Atlantic Ocean, with Charleston as the principal harbor. Lighthouses survive at eight historic light stations in the state. Developers have restored two of the historic towers and also built several facsimile lighthouses. There is no statewide preservation group, and for the past decade preservation efforts have been focused on the critically endangered Morris Island Light. Several other lighthouses need attention, including Georgetown, Hunting Island, and especially Cape Romain.

All of the state's lighthouses are now in National Park Service, State of South Carolina, or private ownership. The U.S. Coast Guard continues to operate lights at only two of them, Georgetown and Sullivan's Island.

ARLHS numbers are from the ARLHS World List of Lights; Admiralty numbers are from volume J of the Admiralty List of Lights & Fog Signals; USCG numbers are from Vol. III of the U.S. Coast Guard Light List.

General Sources
South Carolina Lighthouses
Excellent photos, travel directions, and accounts by Kraig Anderson.
Beach Bum's Lighthouses: South Carolina
This site by Stephen Wilmoth has accounts and photos of recent visits to most of the lighthouses.
Lighthouses of South Carolina
Photos from Bob and Sandra Shanklin.
Lighthouses in South Carolina, United States
Aerial photos posted by Marinas.com.
Historic Light Station Information and Photography - South Carolina
Information and historic photos posted by the U.S. Coast Guard.
National Maritime Inventory - South Carolina
National Park Service inventory of South Carolina lighthouse data.
Roger Bansemer's Lighthouses of the South
Bansemer is an artist and author active in lighthouse preservation; his site has good information on South Carolina lighthouses.


1857 Cape Romain Light
photo copyright Stephen Wilmoth; used by permission
Lighthouses
* Governors
1985. Active (privately maintained and unofficial); continuous white light. Approx. 50 ft (15 m) octagonal tower, painted with black and white horizontal bands. Peter T. Lawrence has a good photo, Marinas.com has aerial photos, and Google has a satellite view. The lighthouse was built by a developer in honor of South Carolina's governors. Located on the north side of the Intracoastal Waterway just off US 17 in Little River. Site open, tower closed. Owner/site manager: Lightkeeper's Village.
Georgetown (North Island) (2)
1867 (extensively rebuilt 1812 lighthouse; station established 1801). Active; focal plane 85 ft (26 m); two white flashes every 15 s. 87 ft (27 m) round old-style brick tower with lantern and gallery, painted white; solar-powered VRB-25 aerobeacon. The 5th order Fresnel lens used prior to 1999 is on display at the Georgetown Coast Guard Station. The 1-story brick keeper's house, brick oilhouse (1890), and boathouse (1894) are also preserved. Tim Vo's photo is at right, Wilmoth also has a nice photo, the Coast Guard has a historic photo, Marinas.com has aerial photos, and Google has a satellite view. This is a rare early federal lighthouse, although it was altered somewhat after the Civil War when its height was raised from 72 to 87 ft (22 to 27 m). The light station was leased to the state in 1988 as part of a juvenile detention and rehabilitation center, but plans for this center were abandoned in 1990. In 2001, the light station was transferred to the state's Department of Natural Resources, which already owned the rest of the island as the Tom Yawkey Wildlife Preserve. Located on North Island facing Winyah Bay, about 1 mi (1.6 km) north of the entrance to the bay and 25 km (15 mi) southeast of Georgetown. Accessible only by boat; cruises out of Georgetown visit the light station. Owner: S.C. Dept. of Natural Resources, Site manager: Tom Yawkey Wildlife Center Heritage Preserve. ARLHS USA-323; Admiralty J2582; USCG 3-0120.
Georgetown Lighthouse
Georgetown Light, September 2006
Creative Commons photo by Tim Vo
Cape Romain (1)
1827 (Winslow Lewis). Inactive since 1858. Ruined 65 ft (20 m) round old-style brick tower, no lantern. This lighthouse is gravely endangered by isolation and neglect. The lower third of the rare wooden spiral stairway has disappeared. Wilmoth has photos from a 2004 visit. Located close to the 1858 lighthouse (next entry). Site open, tower open but very hazardous. Owner: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Site manager: Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge. ARLHS USA-134.
Cape Romain (2)
1858. Inactive since 1947. 150 ft (46 m) octagonal brick tower with lantern and galley. The upper half of the tower is painted with vertical black and white stripes, but the lower half is all white. The keeper's house was demolished in the late 1950s. One of Stephen Wilmoth's photos is at the top of this page, Anderson has an excellent page for the lighthouse, the Coast Guard has a historic photo, Marinas.com has aerial photos, and Google has a satellite view. This historic lighthouse is gravely endangered by isolation and neglect. The tower has a long-standing lean of several degrees due to a faulty foundation. The lighthouse was painted and the windows were replaced in the early 1990s, but the rusting stairway is very dangerous. Lighthouse Digest has Wilmoth's account and photos of a 2001 visit. Located on Lighthouse Island (also called Raccoon Key) southeast of McClellanville and about 1.2 km (3/4 mi) northwest of the actual point of the cape. Accessible only by boat, and there is no dock, so visitors must wade ashore. Tours are available from Awendaw, and guided tours (reservations required) are available occasionally from the Sewee Visitor and Environmental Education Center in Awendaw. Site open, tower open but hazardous. Owner: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Site manager: Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge. ARLHS USA-133.
* Charleston (Sullivan's Island, New Charleston)
1962. Active; focal plane 163 ft (50 m); two quick white flashes, separated by 5 s, every 30 s. 140 ft (43 m) aluminum (steel-framed) trapezoidal tower with overhanging lantern, top half black, lower half white; DCB-24 aerobeacon. Mark Scott has a fine photo, Marinas.com has aerial photos, the Coast Guard has a 1962 photo of the new lighthouse, and Google has a satellite view. This is the last lighthouse built by the federal government and the only U.S. lighthouse with an elevator and air conditioning. It was designed by a young architect named Jack Graham, who was serving in the Coast Guard to complete his required military service. In May 2008, the Coast Guard agreed to transfer ownership of the lighthouse to the National Park Service, which already owned the Sullivan's Island Lifesaving Station next door. The formal transfer was made at a ceremony on November 8. The Park Service is organizing a friends group to support restoration of the building, and it hopes to open the tower eventually to the public. Located on I'on Avenue off SC 703 in Sullivan's Island. Site open (free), tower closed; group tours can be arranged. Owner: National Park Service. Site manager: Fort Sumter National Monument. ARLHS USA-825; Admiralty J2646; USCG 3-0195.
* St. Philip's Church (Fort Sumter Range Rear)
1893. Inactive since 1915. Light formerly mounted in the steeple of St. Philip's Episcopal Church. Sarah Williams has a 2007 photo, and Google has a satellite view. The church, one of the best known landmarks of old Charleston, was built in the 1830s, but the steeple wasn't added until the late 1840s. It carried the rear light of a range; the front light was at Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor. Only one other U.S. church, the First Baptist Church of Beverly, Massachusetts, has been used as a lighthouse. Located at 146 Church Street in Charleston. Site open, tower closed. Owner/site manager: St. Philip's Church. ARLHS USA-1163.
Morris Island (Old Charleston) (3)
1876 (Peter Hains) (station established 1767). Inactive since 1962. 161 ft (49 m) round brick tower, originally painted with horizontal red and white bands, but the red has weathered to brown. The keeper's house was destroyed in 1939. Incredibly, the original 1st order Fresnel lens was sold at auction in 1938 and dismantled for resale to collectors; the top of the lens has been recovered and is on display at the visitor center at Hunting Island Light. Anne Hornyak's photo is at right, a webcam shows a live view, Marinas.com has aerial photos, the Coast Guard has a historic photo showing the keeper's house, and Google has a good satellite view. This is the second oldest light station in the South, established in 1767. The tower has been gravely endangered since rapid beach erosion left it standing in the open Atlantic northeast of Folly Beach. The lighthouse is a charter member of the Lighthouse Digest Doomsday List. Fund raising for preservation was kicked off in 1999 by a $500,000 appropriation from the South Carolina legislature. Preservationists formed Save the Light, Inc. and purchased the light from its private owners in 1999. A 1999 Lighthouse Digest report described the history of the lighthouse and start of the preservation effort. In 2000, the South Carolina Natural Resources Board bought the lighthouse for $1 and then leased it back to Save the Light for preservation. In 2001 an engineering study called for stabilization of the existing foundation. In 2003, International Chimney Corporation completed a plan for complete restoration. After several frustrating bureaucratic delays, work finally began around June 1, 2007. The first phase, stabilizing the foundation with an external cofferdam, was completed by Taylor Brothers Marine in March 2008; the contractor has posted a large portfolio of photos. The total project could cost as much as $6 million. In 2001 Charleston County purchased as a park the 5.5 acre (2 ha) site of the former Folly Beach Lifesaving Station overlooking the lighthouse. Located about 1/2 mi (800 m) north of the east end of Ashley Avenue in Folly Beach. There's a good view from land, and boat tours are available from Folly Beach. Site and tower closed. Owner: State of South Carolina. Site manager: Save the Light, Inc. ARLHS USA-515.
Morris Island Light
Morris Island Light, November 2008
Creative Commons photo by Anne Hornyak
*** Hunting Island (2)
1875 (station established 1859). Reactivated (inactive 1933-1995); focal plane 132 ft (40 m); continuous white light with a more intense flash every 30 s. 136 ft (41 m) round cast iron tower, upper third painted black, lower 2/3 white. The keeper's house has been demolished, but the oil house and two storage buildings survive. The upper portion of Morris Island Light's 1st order Fresnel lens is on display in the base of the tower, and the nearby state park visitor center has historical displays. A photo is at right, Marinas.com has aerial photos, the Coast Guard has a historic photo showing the keeper's house, and Google has a satellite view. This lighthouse replaced an 1859 tower destroyed during the Civil War. Fears of beach erosion caused the lighthouse to be relocated 1.3 miles (2.2 km) inland in 1889. (Rapid beach erosion in the area continues and will threaten the lighthouse in the future.) The tower was last renovated in 1991. In May 2003, the lighthouse was closed after a broken step was discovered; it reopened in February 2005 after $108,000 in repairs. Wilmoth has posted photos taken at the time of the reopening. Site open daily year round (state park entry fee); tower open March through November. Owner/operator: South Carolina State Parks (Hunting Island State Park). ARLHS USA-392; Admiralty J2744.5; USCG 3-4065.
[Parris Island Range Rear]
1881. Inactive since about 1912. The rear light was on a 131 ft (40 m) triangular pyramidal cast iron skeletal tower. The tower was demolished long ago, along with the keeper's house and the 45 ft (13.5 m) wooden front light. The brick oil house remains, and after its rediscovery the Marines Corps spent $50,000 to restore the little building in 2005. Anderson has a historic drawing of the lighthouse and a second drawing of the front light, a 14 m (45 ft) square wooden skeletal tower with lantern and gallery. The rear light was similar to the 1902 Baker Range Rear Light in Delaware. Located near the south end of the island within the Parris Island marine base. Site closed. Owner: U.S. Marine Corps. Site manager: Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island. ARLHS USA-1195.
Hunting Island Light
Hunting Island Light, March 2008
anonymous Creative Commons photo
* Hilton Head Range Rear (Leamington)
1880. Inactive since 1932 (a decorative sodium vapor light is now displayed). 94 ft (29 m) hexagonal pyramidal cast iron skeletal tower with lantern, gallery, and central cylinder, painted white. The brick oil house (1892) remains, but the two keeper's houses have been relocated to Harbour Town, where one serves as a café and the other as a real estate office. Jake Walker has a photo, and Google has a satellite view. This lighthouse has a unique design. The tower was restored by the Palmetto Dunes developer in 1985, and it remains under private management. Located on the Arthur Hills Golf Course at Palmetto Dunes on Hilton Head Island. Site open by appointment (call ahead), tower closed. Owner/site manager: Palmetto Dunes Resort. ARLHS USA-972.
*** Harbour Town
1970. Active (privately maintained); focal plane 90 ft (27 m); white flash every 2.5 s. 93 ft (28 m) octagonal cylindrical stucco tower, painted with horizontal red and white bands; acrylic lens. Karl Eschenbach's photo is at right, but the tower is curiously inconspicuous in a Google satellite view. Built by developer Charles Fraser, the lighthouse is well known as the symbol of Sea Pines Plantation on Hilton Head Island. The lighthouse stands behind the 18th green on the Harbour Town Golf Links, and every April it appears prominently on U.S. television when the Heritage Golf Classic is played on that course. In 2000-01 a $200,000 renovation added air conditioning, improved lighting, and added historical displays. In 2009 the original lighting equipment was replaced with a solar-powered lens. Located at the end of Lighthouse Road, on the north side of the marina entrance off Calibogue Sound, overlooking the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway. Site and tower open daily year round (small entry fee for tower). Owner/operator/site manager: Sea Pines Resort. ARLHS USA-1135; Admiralty J2765.7; USCG 3-4395.
Haig Point (Daufuskie Island) Range Rear
1872. Reactivated (inactive 1924-1987, now privately maintained); focal plane 47 ft (14 m); white flash every 14 s. 2-1/2 story Victorian wood keeper's house surmounted by a square cylindrical wood tower, painted white; acrylic lens. Island Explorer Tours has a 2008 photo, the Coast Guard has a historic photo, and Google has a satellite view. The small front range light has been demolished. The dilapidated lighthouse was first restored in 1965-67 by George H. Bostwick. When International Paper Realty bought all of the area in 1984, the company carried out an archaeological study and then carefully restored the building to its original appearance. It is used as a guest house. Located on the northeast point of Daufuskie Island opposite the Harbour Town Light, overlooking the Intracoastal Waterway. Visible at a distance from Harbour Town Light. Accessible by guided tours from Harbour Town. Site and tower closed. Owner/site manager: Haig Point Community. ARLHS USA-217; Admiralty J2766; USCG 3-4370.
Bloody Point Range Front
1883. Inactive since 1899. 1-1/2 story wood keeper's house; the light was displayed from a dormer window on the upper story. Currently the house is painted red with white trim. A lamp house (very rare) and the oil house are also preserved. Anderson has a good account and excellent photos, and Google has a satellite view. The lighthouse was relocated inland in 1899 and used thereafter strictly as a keeper's house until the range was deactivated in 1922. The house is a private residence; owner Joe Yocius wrote a 2001 feature article on the lighthouse for Lighthouse Digest. However, Yocius placed the lighthouse for sale for $875,000 in April 2009. Located at the southern end of Daufuskie Island near the sixth tee of the Bloody Point golf course. Site closed. Owner/site manager: private; the owner is a realtor doing business as Low Country Joe. ARLHS USA-1003.
Hilton Head Lighthouse
Harbour Town Light, April 2004
Creative Commons photo by Karl Eschenbach

Information available on lost lighthouses:

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Posted 2000. Checked and updated May 8, 2009. Lighthouses: 12. Site copyright 2009 Russ Rowlett and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.