HISTORY
GOLDEN ISLES CVB
The St . Simons Lighthouse is one of only five surviving light towers in Georgia and is open to visitors .
Night Light THE HISTORIC ST . SIMONS LIGHTHOUSE OFFERS VISITORS A GLIMPSE INTO HISTORY . | BY DEBRA BOKUR |
Falling under the dreamy spell of a lighthouse is almost a given for anyone . Part romance , part mystery — the symbolism of a lighthouse is likely rooted in association not only with the sea , but also with the promise of something resolute offering guidance and protection .
Since the early 1800s , seafarers entering the channel waters of the St . Simons Sound have been piloted by the comforting beam that emanates from a lighthouse guarding the waters . A segment of land was originally deeded and designated for a lighthouse in 1804 . That original lighthouse , with its keeper appointed in 1810 , was made largely of tabby , a mixture of oyster shells , sand , water and lime material often used along the Southern coast in that time period .
Today ’ s lighthouse and attached keeper ’ s dwelling , completed in 1872 , are constructed of the best quality , handmade bricks of the age . The historic lighthouse and its original lens still carry the official designation of “ Active Aid to Navigation .” Guided by Orlando Poe , once the U . S . Lighthouse Board ’ s chief engineer , the design for the ascending , 104- foot tower and its interior cast-iron spiral staircase were fashioned with a hollow that separates the interior and exterior walls . This space was created to accommodate a rotational weight system to control the light — a third order Fresnel lens crafted in France with a fixed range of 18 miles , and a flashing range of 23 miles that operates on a 60-second cycle .
MOMENT IN TIME Lighthouses , including the St . Simons Lighthouse , replaced earlier warning systems — such as burning pyres set ablaze on nearby hills — meant to alert mariners to coastal dangers , or help identify entrances to primitive ports . By the turn of the 18th century , burgeoning trade routes and sea commerce led to the construction of more sophisticated physical structures . Eventually , automated electric systems negated the need for lightkeepers and made their jobs obsolete . The last resident lightkeeper at St . Simons was David O ’ Hagan , who occupied the dwelling from 1945 until the automation of the light system in the 1950s .
The lighthouse was acquired by the society in 2004 , under the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act , and restored in 2010 . The surrounding campus includes a keeper ’ s dwelling , gazebo and
SPRING / SUMMER 2023 | SEA ISLAND LIFE 39