Tybee Island Museum

One of the most picturesque old lighthouses stands just south of Savannah River entrance, on the northeast end of Tybee Island, Georgia. It is one of... more

by Norma Brandsberg

Title

Tybee Island Museum

Artist

Norma Brandsberg

Medium

Photograph

Description

One of the most picturesque old lighthouses stands just south of Savannah River entrance, on the northeast end of Tybee Island, Georgia. It is one of seven surviving colonial era lighthouse towers, though highly modified in the mid 1800s.

The current lighthouse is the fourth tower at this station, though neither of its first two predecessors were lit. The first tower was built constructed of wood; erected in 1736, it was felled by a storm in 1741. The following year a replacement was erected, this time of stone and wood, but still without illumination; instead, it was topped with a flag pole. This tower succumbed to shoreline erosion.

The third tower was constructed in 1773 by John Mullryne, a brick tower originally 100 ft. in height. It was first fitted with a system of reflectors and candles, but this was upgraded to oil lamps after it was ceded to the federal government in 1790. A second tower was added to the site in 1822 to form a range. Both towers received Fresnel lenses in 1857, with the lower front tower being equipped with a 4th order lens, while the main tower received a larger 2nd order lens.

Confederate forces burned the light in 1862 during the Civil War and removed the lens as they retreated to Fort Pulaski. Reconstruction of the light was begun in 1866 but was delayed by a cholera outbreak. A new tower was constructed atop the first 60 ft. of the old tower, raising the height of the whole to 154 ft. This tower was equipped with a 1st order lens. The front beacon was now a 50 ft. wooden skeleton tower equipped with a new 4th order lens.

Throughout its life the daymark of the tower was modified on numerous occasions. Originally all-white, the base and lantern were painted black in 1887; this was altered in 1914,1916, and again in 1970, each time bringing the black at the top further down the tower until the illustrated configuration was reached.

In 1999 a major restoration project was begun under the auspices of the Tybee Island Historical Society, who took possession of the light station in 2002 under the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act. This image is also available in pure black and white and in color in various poses.

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Uploaded

January 27th, 2021