South Carolina Lighthouses

Lighthouse Friends.com lists 10 lighthouses in South Carolina. On a recent visit I was able to photograph 4 of them. Each of the four was unique. There was the modern lighthouse in Harbour Town on Hilton Head Island, an unusual square shaped light on Sullivans Island, a wonderful historic lighthouse being restored on Morris Island, and a great, well kept historic lighthouse in the state park on Hunting Island.

photographs by Mary Beth Granger

Hilton Head Island

The lighthouse on Hilton Head Island in Harbour town was the newest of the lighthouses I photographed on this trip. It was built in 1969 for a golf tournament and has since become the well recognized symbol of Hilton Head Island and Sea Pines Resort. It has a ninety-foot, red and white striped tower and it's white light flashes every two and a half seconds.

I enjoyed walking around the lighthouse and taking photos from various angles. This photo was taken from across the water. I like the way the lighthouse stands out behind the boats. It was my favorite view.

This wonderful throw features the lighthouses of South Carolina. What a wonderful gift for the lighthouse enthusiast!

Stately looking Black and White

The trip to Hunting Island was way off the beaten track and I was wondering if we would ever get there.

When we arrived we were pleasantly surprised by the great state park at Hunting Island. It is very well kept and had great beaches and facilities. The road to the lighthouse was well marked and it was a beautiful drive. When we arrived we discovered a stately looking black and white lighthouse with a white fence surrounding it.

The lighthouse is the only historic one in South Carolina that is open to the public. You can climb it's 175 steps for a fantastic view of the ocean and the marsh. The lighthouse was built in 1873 and was later moved about a mile to it's current location because of errosion.

I was able to photograph the lighthouse from several angles and then took a pleasant hike to the beach nearby. It was a beautiful setting.

Charleston Harbor Light

The Morris Island Lighthouse was built to guide sailors into Charleston Harbor. The first lighthouse was built there in 1767. In 1838 a new 102 foot tower was built to replace the original 42 foot light.

This lighthouse was destroyed during the Civil War to prevent Union troops from using it as a lookout. A new lighthouse was built in 1876. This lighthouse was in use until 1962 when it was replaced by a more modern light on Sullivans Island. The Morris Island Lighthouse is in the process of being renovated and the You Tube video below gives a good overview of the struggle to save the lighthouse.

I was able to photograph the lighthouse from the beach at Folly Island. At the north end of Folly Beach the road dead ends and you can take a 1/2 mile walking trail to a section of the beach that has great views of the Morris Island Lighthouse.

This video shows the lighthouse as seen from Folly Beach. There is a major renovation taking place.

Here are some books to give you additional information on South Carolina lighthouses.

This postcard was created using photos I took of the South Carolina lights.