The Tybee Island Light Station on Tybee Island, Georgia

When in the Savannah, Georgia area many visitors make a trip out to the beach at Tybee Island. One of the most famous landmarks on the island is the Light Station.

There has been a light on the island to guide ships safely into the Savannah River since Colonial Times. The first light was authorized in 1732 and was destroyed during a storm in 1741. The replacement second light also faced immediate challenges from the sea as it was built directly on the shoreline. The erosion damaged the foundation until it had to be replaced by the third light.

History

The third light, which stood 100 feet tall, was made of concrete and wood was given to the United States Government after Georgia joined the Union in 1790 and served until the beginning of the Civil War in 1861.

At the beginning of the Civil War, Confederate troops stationed at Fort Pulaski, now a National Monument, destroyed the top of light to prevent it's being used by the Union Navy which was stationed off of the Georgia coast.

The current 4th lighthouse was built after the Civil War, using the lower 60 feet of the tower being what remained of the 3rd light. The unique daymark, or paint pattern dates from 1916 and allows the lighthouse to be identified during daylight hours.

Visiting the Lighthouse

The Tybee Island Light Station is one of the most intact historic sites of it's kind. The complex includes the lighthouse, head keeper's house, original summer kitchen, two assistant keeper houses, fuel storage building and garage. The head keeper's quarters is now the visitor center, one cottage serves as a video theater.

The gift shop also provides a chance to pick-up a unique keepsake and also learn more about other lighthouses. An admission fee is charged to tour the lighthouse, which helps to offset the costs of maintaining the complex. Visitors can climb the tower's 178 steps as part of their admission and get take in the view of the islands and also the surrounding coastal area. The US Coast Guard still maintains the light as an aid to navigation, but the lighthouse is now owned by the City and the Historical Society.

Whether as a destination in itself, or as part of your next visit to the Georgia Coast, the Tybee Island Lighthouse is worth a visit.