Tybee Island Light
Encyclopedia
Tybee Island Lighthouse is a lighthouse
in Georgia
,
United States
, next to the Savannah River Entrance, on the northeast end of Tybee Island, Georgia
.
1773 the third lighthouse was completed and had a brick 100 ft (30.5 m) tower. The light was refitted with 16-inch reflectors in 1841. In 1857 the light was renovated and fitted with a second-order lens.
In 1862, during the American Civil War
, the interior of the tower and the lantern were destroyed by fire and the lens was removed. By 1865, the beacon had been relighted but not the main light. In 1857 a second order Fresnel lens
was installed. In 1867, a new brick and cast iron lighthouse was built. The lower sixty feet of the previous light was used as the foundation for the new 144 ft (43.9 m) tall tower, and equipped with a 1st order Fresnel lens
In 1869, Tybee beacon was moved back 165 feet (50.3 m) as the site was threatened by storms. In 1871, gales, which had caused great damage along the southern coast, had so greatly damaged the tower that is was reported cracked and liable to fall at any time. The encroachment of the sea upon the southerly point of Tybee Island made it necessary to remove the front beacon, a skeleton frame
structure, and set it back 400 feet (121.9 m) on a new foundation in 1873. It had to be moved still farther back in 1879.
The 1867 lighthouse is open to the public
Lighthouse
A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses or, in older times, from a fire, and used as an aid to navigation for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways....
in Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
,
United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, next to the Savannah River Entrance, on the northeast end of Tybee Island, Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
.
History
The original Tybee Island Lighthouse was built in 1736 and was a wooden tower. It was destroyed in 1741 by a storm. In 1742, the second lighthouse, made of stone and wood, was finished. In1773 the third lighthouse was completed and had a brick 100 ft (30.5 m) tower. The light was refitted with 16-inch reflectors in 1841. In 1857 the light was renovated and fitted with a second-order lens.
In 1862, during the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, the interior of the tower and the lantern were destroyed by fire and the lens was removed. By 1865, the beacon had been relighted but not the main light. In 1857 a second order Fresnel lens
Fresnel lens
A Fresnel lens is a type of lens originally developed by French physicist Augustin-Jean Fresnel for lighthouses.The design allows the construction of lenses of large aperture and short focal length without the mass and volume of material that would be required by a lens of conventional design...
was installed. In 1867, a new brick and cast iron lighthouse was built. The lower sixty feet of the previous light was used as the foundation for the new 144 ft (43.9 m) tall tower, and equipped with a 1st order Fresnel lens
In 1869, Tybee beacon was moved back 165 feet (50.3 m) as the site was threatened by storms. In 1871, gales, which had caused great damage along the southern coast, had so greatly damaged the tower that is was reported cracked and liable to fall at any time. The encroachment of the sea upon the southerly point of Tybee Island made it necessary to remove the front beacon, a skeleton frame
Skeletal tower
Skeletal Frame Light Towers are lighthouse towers that have only an open frame. They are commonly built as aids to navigation; most of them are not considered to be lighthouses. However, during the late nineteenth century and the first years of the twentieth, larger skeletal towers were installed...
structure, and set it back 400 feet (121.9 m) on a new foundation in 1873. It had to be moved still farther back in 1879.
The 1867 lighthouse is open to the public
Chronology
- 1736: The first lighthouse, a wooden tower, was built on Tybee Island.
- 1741: The first light was washed away by a stormStormA storm is any disturbed state of an astronomical body's atmosphere, especially affecting its surface, and strongly implying severe weather...
. - 1742: March: The second lighthouse, made of stone and wood, was finished.
- 1768: The building of a third lighthouse was authorized.
- 1773: The third lighthouse was completed. This brick lighthouse with wooden stairs was 100 feet (30.5 m) tall.
- 1790: The lighthouse and its property were ceded to the Federal Government.
- 1857: A second order Fresnel lensFresnel lensA Fresnel lens is a type of lens originally developed by French physicist Augustin-Jean Fresnel for lighthouses.The design allows the construction of lenses of large aperture and short focal length without the mass and volume of material that would be required by a lens of conventional design...
was installed. - 1861: ConfederateConfederate States of AmericaThe Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
soldiers set fire to the light to prevent its use by FederalUnion (American Civil War)During the American Civil War, the Union was a name used to refer to the federal government of the United States, which was supported by the twenty free states and five border slave states. It was opposed by 11 southern slave states that had declared a secession to join together to form the...
troops during the Civil WarAmerican Civil WarThe American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. Union forces watched rebel troops at the nearby Fort Pulaski using the damaged tower. - 1866: A new brick and cast ironCast ironCast iron is derived from pig iron, and while it usually refers to gray iron, it also identifies a large group of ferrous alloys which solidify with a eutectic. The color of a fractured surface can be used to identify an alloy. White cast iron is named after its white surface when fractured, due...
lighthouse was authorized. The lower sixty feet of the previous light was used as the foundation for the new 154 feet (46.9 m) tall tower equipped with a first order Fresnel lens. - 1867: October 1: The new light was first lit.
- 1933: The fuel to light the lamp in the lens was converted from kerosene to electricity.
- 1939: The United States Coast GuardUnited States Coast GuardThe United States Coast Guard is a branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven U.S. uniformed services. The Coast Guard is a maritime, military, multi-mission service unique among the military branches for having a maritime law enforcement mission and a federal regulatory agency...
took over operations at the light until 1987. - 1987: The United States Coast Guard moved their operations to Cockspur IslandCockspur Island LightThe Cockspur Island Light is a small lighthouse located in Chatham County, Georgia. It ceased operation as an active beacon in 1909. It has been relit since 2007 for historical rather than navigational purposes....
. - 2002: The Tybee Island Historical Society operates the lighthouse. The octagonal brick tower now rises 145 feet (44.2 m) above ground and 144 feet (43.9 m) above water, exhibiting a fixed white electric light from a first-order lens visible for 18 miles (29 km). It is open to the public. Restoration of several buildings on the site is currently underway.