History

• The first lighthouse built in South Carolina was the Georgetown Lighthouse. The original lighthouse was built on North Island at the Winyah Bay Entrance, close to the city of Georgetown, in 1801. The many cash crops grown in this area made Georgetown an important commerce area. This growth in commerce lead to an increase in the ship traffic through Winyah Bay, resulting in the need for the construction of a lighthouse. The original Georgetown Lighthouse, which was built out of cypress wood, was destroyed by a brutal storm in 1806. In 1811, the lighthouse was rebuilt, this time out of brick. It still stands and is operational today. Over the course of approximately 150 years, nine more lighthouses were built along the coast of South Carolina. Some of these South Carolina lighthouses have survived intense battles and storms over the years. Others were not as lucky but have been rebuilt.
  
  

Function

• The function of most of South Carolina's lighthouses is to help captains navigate through waterways at night or during bad weather. Most are located close to major ports. The Cape Romain lighthouse is not; its main function is to warn boaters of a dangerous shoal nine miles southeast of the beam. The Harbour Town Lighthouse was built in 1970 to function mainly as a tourist attraction. Located in the Sea Pines Resort in Hilton Head, the lighthouse was built to attract mariners from the Intracoastal Waterway to the resort, in hopes that they would dock at the marina and enjoy the nearby restaurants and shops. With that said, the Harbour Town Lighthouse does appear on navigational maps and its beam can be seen from 15 miles away.
  
  

Geography

• Ten lighthouses currently occupy the coast of South Carolina. A little over 180 miles separate the South Carolina lighthouse farthest north on the coast, Georgetown Lighthouse, and the state's lighthouse situated farthest south, Bloody Point Rear Range Lighthouse (see map in resources).
  
  

Features

• Of the eight historical lighthouses listed on the National Park Service's Historical South Carolina Lighthouse Inventory, the only one that remains open for climbing is the Hunting Island Lighthouse. The lighthouse at Haig Point has been converted into a Victorian bed and breakfast, but you must be a member of the Haig Point community to make reservations. Hilton Head Rear Range Lighthouse is now privately owned and is also accessible to the public, by appointment only. Although not considered historical, visitors are also allowed to climb the stairs of the Harbour Town Lighthouse and read about the history of the area on display.
  
  

Considerations

• Two of South Carolina's historic lighthouses are privately owned; the rest are owned by the state. There is no statewide lighthouse preservation group in South Carolina, and as Mother Nature takes her course, the lighthouses are suffering. Save the Light Inc. is a nonprofit group organized to save the Morris Island Lighthouse at Folly Beach. In eight years they have raised more than $4 million to restore the lighthouse.