St. Simons Island Lighthouse

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Saint Simons Island Light

(Saint Simons Island, Georgia)

Saint Simons Island is a small island east of Brunswick, Georgia. In the early 1800s it was determined that a lighthouse was needed to mark the St. Simons Sound. A plantation owner named John Couper deeded four acres of land at the south end of the island to the federal government for the establishment of a lighthouse. James Gould was hired in 1807 to build the lighthouse, which was completed in 1808.

The first lighthouse built on the island was a 75-foot structure. Most of the tower was constructed of a mixture of oyster shell, lime, sand, and water (referred to as “tabby”). The upper 12.5 feet was brick. The tabby and brick portion of the tower had an octagonal shape that was 25-feet in diameter at the base and ten feet at the top. A ten foot tall iron lantern room sat on top of the tower. The lantern room contained oil lamps that were suspended on iron chains. In 1857 a 3^rd-order Fresnel lens was installed that greatly improved the lighthouse’s range.

James Gould was assigned as the first lighthouse keeper in 1810 and continued in this job for 27 years.

As with many of the southern lighthouses, the civil war resulted in the destruction of the first St. Simons lighthouse. In 1862, retreating Confederate troops not wanting the Northern troops to make use of the lighthouse destroyed it before leaving the island.

After the Civil War, the U.S. Government ordered the construction of the second, and current, lighthouse. It was placed 25 feet west of where the first lighthouse was located. Charles Cluskey, one of Georgia’s most noted architects, was hired to build the new lighthouse and keeper’s quarters. Unfortunately, Charles Cluskey and some of the building crew died of malaria during the construction and never saw the completed work.

The lighthouse and keeper’s quarters were completed in 1872. The new lighthouse tower was cylindrical and stood 104 feet tall with a 129 step cast iron spiral staircase. Like in the previous lighthouse, a 3^rd-order Fresnel lens was installed.

The keeper’s dwelling was a beautiful Victorian design built of Savannah “gray” brick with twelve inch walls and heart pine floors. The first floor was for the head keeper and the upper floor assigned to the assistant keeper. The floors were originally connected by a central spiral stairway. In 1910 the central stairway was removed and an external staircase was installed for access to the upper floor.

Improvements to the property in 1876, among other things, added a “speaking tube” from the top of the tower to the keeper’s house. In 1890 a fire-proof brick oil house was built beside the tower that had the capability of holding 450 five-gallon oil cans.

The light source was changed over to an electric light in 1934 and was fully automated in 1953. A rotating 1000-watt bulb produces a flash once each minute that can be seen for up to 18 miles.

Today, the keeper’s house contains the Museum of Coastal History. In 1984 the Costal Georgia Historical Society signed a contract with the U.S. Coast Guard that allowed visitors to the museum to the climb the tower. The grounds are also open to the public.

Directions: Off U.S. 17 in Brunswick, take the F.J. Torras Causeway to St. Simons Island. After the bridge over the Frederica River, turn right on King's Way. Stay on King's Way past the blinking light at Sea Island Causeway, and past the traffic signal at Frederica Road. The airport will be on your left at this intersection. At the next traffic signal, turn right on Mallory St., go one block to Beachview and turn left. Go one-fourth mile to 12th St. and turn right.

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