Year first constructed 1838 Deactivated 1915 Tower shape conical Opened 1838 Construction Brick Added to NRHP 8 August 1989 | Year first lit 1838 Foundation Brick Height 18 m Range 25,928 m Material Brick | |
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Location Northern end of Little Cumberland Island, Georgia Address Cumberland Island National Seashore, Cumberland Island, Georgia, St Marys, GA 31558, USA Similar Sapelo Island Lighthouse, Cockspur Island Light, Old Harbor Light, Dungeness, Sapelo Island Range Fr | ||
Little Cumberland Island Lighthouse is a privately ownedlighthouse in Georgia, United States, on the north end of Little Cumberland Island adjacent to main Cumberland Island, in Camden County on the southeast coast of Georgia.
Contents
When in service the light marked the entrance to St. Andrew Sound and the Satilla River. It also marked a shoal that extends about 6 nautical miles (11 km; 6.9 mi) south-southeasterly of the light.
History
The 60-foot (18 m) Little Cumberland Island Lighthouse was designed by Winslow Lewis and built in 1838. It had fourteen Lewis lamps generating a fixed light, which distinguished it from the older tower to the south that had a revolving light. The lantern room received its third-order Fresnel lens, manufactured in France by Henri LePaute, in 1857. The new light had a range of 14 nautical miles (26 km; 16 mi) with a focal height of 71 feet (22 m) asl. In 1874, a brick wall was built around the lighthouse to protect it from the encroaching sea.
The lighthouse was in service until 1915 when it was deactivated. The keeper's house and all other light station buildings, are long since gone; However the decrepit and tumbling tower that remained, were bought and restored by a private owner and remain in pristine condition, thanks to the dedicated owner. The lighthouse was renovated by the homeowners from 1994 to 1998 and again in 201 6. The the lighthouse house and surrounding property is privately owned. Visitation is by invitation only. A large dune protects the lighthouse from the ocean, but as a result the tower is now barely visible from the water.
Designation
The lighthouse is on the National Register of Historic Places, No. 89001407. It was designated on August 8, 1989.
The Little Cumberland Island lighthouse is a private property and access in not permitted without permission from the owner.