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Georgetown Light (Georgetown, South Carolina)
The existing Georgetown Light is the third
lighthouse tower to be built on North Island, South Carolina. During the 1700s Georgetown was a busy
commercial port. At one time it
exported more rice than any other port in the world. A lighthouse was needed to
guide ships into the harbor. It was
decided to place the lighthouse on North Island, a 15-mile long island just off
the coast of Georgetown. In
February of 1795, the government bought land for the building of a lighthouse
tower. Construction was delayed, but in 1799 the first Georgetown Light on North
Island was completed. It was a wood structure that was seventy-two feet tall,
twenty-six feet in diameter at the base and six feet in diameter at the top. The first lighthouse was destroyed by a
storm in 1804 and was replaced in 1812 by a new tower.
It also was 72 feet tall but this one was made of brick and was painted
white. This light received quite a lot of damage during the civil war and a new
tower was needed. The tower that stands today replaced the
1812 tower and was completed in 1867. This
new structure was 87 feet tall with a base diameter of 20 feet and a base wall
thickness of 6 inches. It was
equipped with a 4th-order Fresnel lens. Other buildings included an
oil house, a cistern, and a two-story wooden keeper’s quarters.
The U.S. Coast Guard operated the light
station until 1986 when the light was automated.
It currently houses a 3500-candle power light and a 5th-order
Fresnel lens. The light is visible
for up to 12 miles. The light is on
both day and night. Directions: The light can only be reached by boat. There are private tour boats that leave out from Georgetown and provide a very good water view of the lighthouse. One such tour is operated by Rover Tours.
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All pictures are the original work of Rick Totton and are protected under copyright laws. Do not reproduce any images from this website without permission of the author. Copyright (c) 2000 Rick Totton.
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