“Lighthouses are not just stone, brick, metal, and glass.
There’s a human story at every lighthouse; that’s the story I
want to tell.”
Elinor
DeWire
We
have been aching to go to the shore and we finally had our chance.
We headed to Tybee Island, about a three hour drive from Augusta, to
spend a night and enjoy Tybee and Savannah, Georgia. It looked like
it was going to pour but the weather cooperated with us and it turned
into a beautiful day. Unfortunately, because of the rules in force
now because of COVID 19, we were unable to get into the lighthouse
but we still enjoyed the beauty from afar. We will go again and
plan to spend time exploring it. What a magnificent structure and
compound to see. I love the history of this place and thought I would
share it with you all.
Tybee
Island Lighthouse, sometimes known as Tybee Island Light Station is a
beautiful lighthouse and only one of seven surviving Colonial era
lighthouses located on the northeast end of Tybee Island, Georgia.
This black and white stripped beacon is the fourth lighthouse built
in Tybee and is nicely preserved and highly visible on the coast of
Tybee and most of the quaint town. It has quite the history.
James
Oglethorpe, who established the first colony on Tybee, led the
charge of having this first tower built in 1736. Oglethorpe got very
upset with the head carpenter of the project after sixteen months had
hardly anything to show for his time on this construction project.
Oglethorpe put him in jail and threatened to hang him for failing in
his duties. The carpenter pleaded for his life. Oglethorpe gave him
another chance, and in the next 16 days, he accomplished more than he
had in the past 16 months. Unfortunately this wooden tower without
illumination was destroyed within five years by a storm in 1741.
The
next year, a replacement was built out of stone and wood by Thomas
Sumner. This tower also didn’t make it because it was built too
close to the shore and beach erosion destroyed it. This tower was
also not illuminated.
In
1773, they hired John Mullryne to build a 100 foot lighthouse out of
brick. This beacon first used candles with reflectors but was later
upgraded to oil lamps. In 1822, they added a second tower, (known as
a daymark) to form a range to help ships navigate the Savannah River.
Both towers got Fresnel Lenses in 1857.
Unfortunately,
this lighthouse came to an unfortunate end when it was burned by the Montgomery Guards from Fort Pulaski (Confederate forces) shortly after the Union Occupation in
1862, during the Civil War. They ignited a keg of powder on the third floor and destroyed the majority of the lighthouse but fortunately removed
the lenses before retreating to Fort Pulaski. The next lighthouse was
not built till 1866 after a cholera outbreak in the area. This new
tower, also the current tower, was built on top of the first 60 feet
of the old tower, bringing this lighthouse to an impressive height
of 154 feet tall. Bad luck would befall on this lighthouse again when
a hurricane in 1871 severely damaged the tower. Serious cracks
appeared and $50,000 was funded to repair the lighthouse and this
time they used iron to reinforce the structure.
As
if nothing else could happen to the lighthouse, in 1886 an
earthquake hit Charleston and shook the beacon, damaging the lens and
caused further cracking in the brickwork. It was repaired promptly.
In 1933 after the tower had electricity added they reduced the
lighthouse keepers from three to one.
Now
to bring you up to current times. In 1999, a major restoration was
done on the lighthouse by Tybee Island Historical Society. It is
now painted in the black and white pattern as it was in the early
1900’s. Tybee Island is proud of this beacon and it is still used
as a navigational aid and still has the original lenses.
Now
for a few extra facts about this magnificent site. The bottom 60
feet of the beacon dates back to 1773 and the new addition of 94 feet
was added on top of the base in 1867 raising it to the height of 154
feet tall. The walls at the base of the structure is 12 feet thick
and gradually lessons to the top is only 18 inches thick. The
Fresnel lens is nearly 8 feet tall and is visible 18 miles out to
sea. There are 176 steps to the top where you get amazing views of
the island, the Savannah River, and Fort Pulaski. People marvel at
watching the huge ships passing by.
The
last lighthouse keeper, George B. Jackson, worked there from 1928 to
1948 when he passed away. Now the United States Coast Guard is in
charge of keeping the light in good working order. This is the oldest
and tallest lighthouse in Georgia and also the most intact historic
lighthouses remaining in America. It sites on a five acre piece of
land in the North Beach neighborhood and you can see both sunrise and
sunset from here.
If
you are wondering if there are ghosts at this lighthouse, wonder no
more. Tybee Lighthouse is named as one of the most haunted in
America. Some of the sightings have claimed to see an apparition of
a man in the First Assistant Keepers house as well as hearing
footsteps. In the Head Keepers house, it has been told whistling
sounds have been heard as well as sounds of the door trying to be
opened. Two children playing and jumping rope with a man in Light
Keepers uniform on the yard in front of the lighthouse was seen by a
psychic. Also some guest, have spotted a five year old girl, coming
down the steps of the lighthouse and warned people not to go up.
True or not? Not sure, but keep your eyes open.
There
is much to see at this sight including many other buildings to
include the three Light Keepers cottages as well as auxiliary
buildings surrounded by a white picket fence. This is a perfectly
preserved site to see and understand how they lived. When you buy
tickets, you can get packages to where you can also visit the 1899
Military Battery that houses the Tybee Island Museum where you can
learn about this islands fascinating past.
Since
COVID 19, you have to call or go on line to reserve a time to go see
the lighthouse and they request you wear a mask. Only twenty guest
an hour are permitted on the premises at time for now. No tickets
can be bought on site. It is located at 30 Meddin Drive, Tybee
Island, Georgia. Check them out at: Tybeelighthouse.org.
We
give this lighthouse, a thumbs up and would recommend checking it
out. I will update this post the next time when we can get in and
see the inside. For now stay safe and healthy. Till next time.
Bye for now.
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