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Last Visited: February, 2013
History:
The St. Simons Island Light is a lighthouse on the southern tip of St. Simons Island, Georgia, United States. It guides ships into St. Simons Sound and warns of the many sandbars in the area.
The original St. Simons Island lighthouse was built in 1810, which was a 75-foot-tall (23 m) early federal octagonal lighthouse topped by a 10-foot (3.0 m) oil-burning lamp. During the American Civil War, U.S. military forces employed a Naval blockade of the coast. An invasion by Union troops in 1862 forced Confederate soldiers to abandon the area. The retreating troops destroyed the lighthouse to prevent it from being an aid to the navigation of Union warships.
The U.S. government constructed a new lighthouse to replace the original, building it to the west of the original's location. It is a 104-foot (32 m) brick structure completed in 1872 and was outfitted with a third-order, biconvex Fresnel lens. The lens is one of only 70 such lenses that remain operational in the United States. Sixteen of those are in use on the Great Lakes of which eight are in Michigan. The rotating lens projects four beams of light, with one strong flash every 60 seconds. A cast iron spiral stairway with 129 steps[6] leads to the galley (or watch/service room). In 1876 the lighthouse was overhauled.
The Lighthouse is reputed to be haunted by the ghost of lightkeeper Frederick Osborne, who was killed in a duel with assistant keeper John Stephens in early March of 1880. One account had Osborne, apparently a cronic faultfinder, making an inappropriate remark to Stephens wife, the other had Stephens making unwanted advances on Osborne's wife. At any rate, standing 98 feet apart, Osborne had a pistol and Stephen a shotgun loaded with buck shot. Stephen fatally wounded Osborne and was later aquitted of any charges. Stephens later reported hearing footsteps assending and descending the tower steps and blamed it on Osborne's ghost. There's an account of keeper Svendsen's family dog Jinx being constantly harrased by the ghost. Multiple witnesses have reporting hearing the sounds on the steps, including Coast Guardsmen while doing routine maintanence of the light mechanism. The belief is the fastidious Fred Osborne is coming back to check and make sure that the light is properly cared for.
In 1934 the kerosene-burning lamp was replaced by a 1000-watt electrical light. On July 1, 1939 the United States Lighthouse Service was placed under the jurisdiction of the US Coast Guard. In 1953 the lighthouse was fully automated.
In 1972, the Coast Guard placed rear Range lights on two towers at the entrance to the Frederica River off of St. Simons Sound. Entering the entrance channel at sea and proceeding inward, by keeping the lighthouse centered between the two rear range lights, keeps one in the center of the entrance channel. The lighthouse is therefore still an active Navigational aid.
In 1972, the lightkeepers' cottage was leased to Glynn County. The Coastal Georgia Historical Society spent three years restoring the two-story Victorian light keepers' cottage, located at the base of the lighthouse, which was then converted into a museum. In 1984, they leased the historic lighthouse structure. For a fee, the public can tour the museum, and climb the 129 steps to the top of the lighthouse for a view of St. Simons Sound and the surrounding area.
The tower underwent restoration in 1989-91 and again in 1997-98.
May 26, 2004, ownership of the lighthouse was transferred to the Coastal Georgia Historical Society under the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act.
Source:
Wikipedia
Hours:
All Museums are open Monday thru Saturday 10a.m. - 5p.m.and Sunday 1:30p.m. - 5p.m. Last climb is at 4:30 p.m.
All Museums, Galleries, Exhibits, Lighthouse tower and Maritime Center Watch tower:
$10 for Adults
$5 for Ages 6-11
No admission charge for CGHS members and children under 6
For more information go to http://www.saintsimonslighthouse.org/
Latitude/Longitude: 31.133765,-81.393138
Nearest Address: 610 Beachview Dr, St Simons, GA
Directions:
- From Interstate 95 take exit 38 for GA-35
- At the end of the ramp turn south onto GA-25 (if coming from the north, turn left onto GA-25; from the south, turn right onto GA-25)
- In 4.7 miles, continue on GA-25 (it also becomes US-17/S Glynn Ave)
- In 1.5 miles turn left onto FJ Torras Causeway
- In 4.3 miles Torras Causeway becomes Kings Highway
- Stay on Kings Highway for 2.3 miles then turn right onto Oak St.
- Take your 2nd left onto Beachview Dr. The lighthouse will be on your right.
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