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"The 104-foot tower, which has a 129-step cast iron spiral staircase and an adjacent keeper's house, were designed by one of Georgia's most noted architects, Charles Cluskey. Cluskey (1805-1871) was one of the most important architects of this period. A native of Ireland, Cluskey worked in Georgia between 1830 and 1847 designing Greek Revival buildings. Later, he served as a consultant in Washington, assisting with renovations of public buildings such as the Capitol. Sent to build a lighthouse on St. Simons Island, Cluskey and some of the crew never saw the fruition of their effort, dying in 1871 of malaria, a year before the structures were completed. Official records of the lighthouse keeper stated in 1874: "This station is very unhealthy, and it is attributed to the stagnant water in several ponds in the vicinity." In 1876 the U. S. Lighthouse Establishment performed a "thorough overhauling" at the lighthouse; workers weather-proofed the roof and walls of the dwelling and installed a speaking tube which ran from the watch room in the tower to the house. The U.S. Lighthouse Establishment household had to be self-sufficient except for basic lighthouse supplies such as fuel, paint, ropes, and lighthouse maintenance equipment. The keeper and his assistant shared the dwelling, the keeper's family living downstairs and the assistant's upstairs. A central stairway connected the two households. A tower room connected the keeper's dwelling to the tower. Tempers flared one Sunday morning in March 1880 between the head keeper and his assistant. The argument left the keeper, Frederick Osborne, dead. Legend claims that his footsteps in the tower have been heard by the wives of later keepers. In 1890, a fire-proof brick oil house was constructed beside the lighthouse. This 9' x 11' building could hold 450 five-gallon oil cans. The lighthouse kerosene lamp was replaced by electricity in 1934. On June 1, 1939, the lighthouse was placed under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Coast Guard. Twenty years later, the lighthouse was fully automated with timers to turn the light off and on. The third order Fresnel lens projects the beam eighteen miles. It is operated by one 1,000 watt mogul lamp rotating to produce one beam per minute. The lighthouse keeper's house served as a home for the lighthouse keepers from 1872 until 1950 when, following the complete automation of the lighthouse in 1953, the last lighthouse keeper, David O'Hagan, retired, and the passageway was taken down to separate the lighthouse from the keeper's house. The U.S. Government then began using the dwelling as office space. It was given in 1960 to the Bureau of Commercial Fisheries, Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service. In 2004, the lighthouse was deeded to the Coastal Georgia Historical Society under the Lighthouse Preservation Act after a long a successful lease arrangement with the U.S. Coast Guard and the Society. Today, with the assistance of the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary, the light continues as an Aid to Navigation, shining seaward every night and during inclement weather."

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4 comments

Newest First | Oldest First
    • photo of MarcindersPhotos
    • Lovely lighthouse! I'm not sure why, but I really like lighthouses! Maybe because I know they quide the wayfarer? ;-)

    • said MarcindersPhotos

    • 2008.12.31 at 18:14:42 PST
    • photo of AKaurora
    • Great shot, fascinating information. ~Deb & Rick~

    • said AKaurora

    • 2008.02.07 at 12:30:36 PST
    • photo of npanzner
    • Excellent capture and intresting history. Greetings from Michigan.

    • said npanzner

    • 2007.12.14 at 18:40:30 PST
    • photo of seawitchinak
    • You've sure done this magnificent, historical and still useful structure justice!

    • said seawitchinak

    • 2007.12.04 at 18:52:14 PST

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