Hunting Island LightHouse
by Sandra Clark
Title
Hunting Island LightHouse
Artist
Sandra Clark
Medium
Photograph - Photograph
Description
Hunting Island State Park is one of the most popular state parks and beach areas in South Carolina. The Hunting Island beach attracts over a million visitors a year.
The pristine sandy beach, natural setting and warm Atlantic Ocean make a perfect getaway. Hunting Island features a campground, which has spaces for RV's and tent campers, as well as a primitive camp site for established groups. The camping area has very easy access to the beach.
The Hunting Island historic lighthouse is the only lighthouse open to the public to climb in the state. From the top platform, one can get a breathtaking view of the ocean, beach and the marshland.
Construction started in 1859, but was set back as the tower was destroyed during the Civil War in 1862. Major George H. Elliot is credited with the 1860s development of what is known as the "segmented cast-iron" light house design. In the United States, two were constructed: the Hunting Island Lighthouse and subsequently Florida's Cape Canaveral Light. Hunting Island’s Lighthouse was designed to be disassembled and moved if required. It consists of cast-iron sections, each weighing up to 1200 pounds which are bolted together to form the shell. the shell is lined with brick, which constitutes the main load-bearing structural element.
Erection commenced in 1873, and was completed in 1875. With its 167 steps that lead to an impressive observation deck, the Hunting Island Lighthouse has handsomely built cast and wrought iron staircase, railings and support beams that were fashioned by the Phoenix Iron Works company of Philadelphia. The Lighthouse was first located on the northern portion of Hunting Island, South Carolina, but severe beach erosion threatened the light station and its structures. By 1888 it was reported that the Atlantic Ocean’s high tide had reached within 35 feet of the keeper's house. As a result, the Lighthouse, the keeper's home and two other structures were relocated a mile away in 1889 to their present locale.
At the time of the 1893 Sea Islands Hurricane the Hunting Island Lighthouse functioned as a sanctuary for some passengers aboard the steamer "City of Savannah I" which had been forced onto the shoals.[4] The Lighthouse continued operation until deactivation in 1933. It was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1977 as reference #70000561. In 2009, celebrations were held in honor of the lighthouse's 150th anniversary
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February 5th, 2014
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