Lighthouses around the world are cherished landmarks that stand tall with history and charm.
Days not too long ago, before radar and Google Maps, these structures were the cornerstone of naval navigation for sailors, fishermen, and explorers. Without these significant beacons of light, travel and exploration would have been much different and more challenging.
Morris Island Lighthouse is a special piece of Charleston’s history that is being lost at sea due to erosion and the changing geography of Folly Beach’s coastline.
But just a few weeks ago, something miraculous happened when the lighthouse was relit on its 140th anniversary of its first lighting in 1876.
Morris Island Lighthouse was built just after the War between the States. Construction began in 1872 and took 4 years to complete. The first lighting occurred on October 1, 1876. When the famous earthquake of 1886 destroyed much of peninsular Charleston, the lighthouse survived but was damaged and still leans to the Northeast. The lighthouse was originally constructed 1200 feet onshore, but by 1938, it was scraping the waters edge.
Now, it is pretty much in the middle of the water and not even accessible at the lowest of tides.
In 2007,
Save The Light, a nonprofit organization, began its first cycle of preservation for Morris Island Lighthouse. It took one year to achieve stabilization for the structure. By driving sheet piles into the cofferdam, the structure was then deemed stable. The contractors worked diligently throughout the fall and winter and completed the first phase by March 2008. The cost was just over $3 million.
On March 1st, 2010
Save The Light gave the Phase II preservation contract to Palmetto Gunite Construction Company, for just under $2 million. The contract was under design and build terms in order to install new concrete piles under the foundation. The jack-up barge was pulled away from the lighthouse it had been supporting for five months on July 31st. At this point the first two phases of preservation were completed.
Today Phase III is in the works.
On October 1st the light house was relit and stood bright as it returned to its former glory. This phase will continue and will focus on restoring the the tower as well as the interior stairwells, rails, roof, glass, and much more. It will also be cleaned and repainted according to National Park Service historic structure guidelines!
Save The Light is an outstanding initiative to save a cherished piece of history. Save the Light bought the lighthouse from the previous owner in 1999. They then turned around and gave it to the state at the end of 2000 after working out a lease agreement so the state could have ownership of the lighthouse at no cost!
The lighthouse belongs to us, the residents of South Carolina! Save the Light still holds all the responsibility for engineering, planning, preserving, and fundraising. Visit their website at
SaveTheLight.org to learn more and get get involved!
