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Hunting Island Light (Hunting Island State Park, South Carolina)
In order to provide navigational assistance
for ships traveling between Charleston, South Carolina and Savannah, Georgia, a
lighthouse was constructed on the north end of Hunting Island, South Carolina
and was first lit on July 1, 1859. This
light was 95 feet tall and had a 2nd-order Fresnel lens. The
lighthouse was destroyed during the Civil War. After the Civil War, construction of a new
tower began but it wasn’t until 1875 that it was completed.
The new tower was constructed of cast iron plates overlying a brick
interior. The lighthouse was designed so it could be taken apart if it needed to
be moved. The tower was 127 feet tall and was equipped with a 2nd-order
Fresnel lens. The light flashed every thirty seconds. The top was reached by a
176-step circular stairway. The grounds were equipped with a very large
three story keeper’s house that had twelve rooms, enough for all the
keeper’s and their families. There
was also an oil house and two storage sheds built. Erosion has always been a problem on Hunting
Island and was beginning to threaten the lighthouse, so in 1889 the lighthouse
was disassembled and transported about 1.25 miles to a new location. The tower
was relit on October 1, 1889. The cost of the move was $51,000 – less than the
cost of a new lighthouse. The
other structures were subsequently relocated too. The lighthouse was decommissioned on June 16th
1933 and was replaced with a lighted whistle buoy. The keeper’s quarters was
gutted by a fire a few years later. Only the foundation can be seen today.
The lighthouse is currently within the
Hunting Island State Park and is located in a very beautiful wooded section of
the park fairly close to the beach. A
nonprofit group called the Friends of Hunting Island State Park, along with
South Carolina State Park Service, is restoring the existing outbuildings.
Directions: The lighthouse is located
in Hunting Island State Park approximately 16 miles south of Beaufort, South
Carolina. From US 17 take US 21 and
follow signs to the State Park.
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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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