History in Our Own Back Yard: Hunting Island Lighthouse

By Donna Brooks

For centuries, people have been fascinated with lighthouses. Maybe it’s because they stand as monuments to days gone by and as beacons of hope for a brighter future. Or perhaps it’s because the lighthouses are all different and beautiful in their own way. Many people even include lighthouses on their bucket lists, and if you google lighthouses, you will find a long list of articles on which ones are the best to visit.

The first known lighthouse was built in Alexandria, Egypt, by Ptolemy I and his son Ptolemy II between 300 and 280 BCE. It stood at 450 feet tall and was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Unfortunately, it was destroyed in the early 1300s by a series of earthquakes.

Today there are 21,600 lighthouses worldwide, and about 800 in the U.S. South Carolina has 11 lighthouses, but the only publicly accessible lighthouse in the state is in our own back yard at Hunting Island State Park, near Beaufort.

The Hunting Island lighthouse is actually the second lighthouse built on the island. The first lighthouse was completed in 1859 but was later blown up by Confederate troops during the Civil War to prevent the Union from using it for navigation. After the Civil War was over, construction began on a new lighthouse in the spring of 1874, but according to the “Annual Report of the Lighthouse Board,” work was suspended in June due to the “unhealthiness of the climate,” or in other words, malaria. After a freshwater pond near the site was identified as the source of malaria, work began again on the lighthouse in November 1874.

The new lighthouse, completed in 1879, was made of cast iron sections so that it could be dismantled if it ever needed to be moved. And, in 1889, it was dismantled and moved 1.3 miles inland due to severe beach erosion. In 1933, the lighthouse was deactivated, and in 1938, the state acquired the island from Beaufort County and began converting it into a state park.

Today, you can visit Hunting Island State Park and climb the 167 steps to the top of the lighthouse for a great view of the island and the Atlantic Ocean. However, due to social distancing limits, you must now make a reservation to climb to the top of the lighthouse. To make your reservation, call (843) 838-4868 during office hours, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday, and 11 a.m.-5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.

Donna Brooks is a freelance writer and editor and the owner of Red Clay Editorial Services in Bluffton, S.C. In her free time, she is an avid runner, reader, photographer and traveler.

References:

Hunting Island State Park
https://southcarolinaparks.com/hunting-island

 U.S. Lighthouses
https://www.us-lighthouses.com/hunting-island-lighthouse

 U.S. Lighthouse Society
https://uslhs.org/education/glossaries-facts-trivia/lighthouse-facts