ST. SIMONS ISLAND LIGHTHOUSE

The St. Simons Island lighthouse was established in 1807 to serve as a marker for the entrance to the St. Simons Sound. James Gould of Massachusetts built the original lighthouse; the story of Mr. Gould and the building of the lighthouse are chronicled in Eugenia Price’s novel, “Lighthouse.”

The location chosen for the lighthouse was a four-acre tract owned by John Couper of “Couper’s Point,” a plantation on the south end of St. Simons Island near St. Simons Sound. For economic reasons, “tabby,” a mixture of oyster shell, lime, sand, and water, was substituted for hard brick in much of the structure. The 75 foot tower, exclusive of the lantern, was an octagonal pyramid, 25 feet in diameter at the base, tapering to ten feet at the top. James Gould was appointed in 1810 as the original keeper of the lighthouse; Mr. Gould held this position at an annual salary of $400 until his retirement in 1837.

In 1862, the Union’s ship blockade and the subsequent invasion of Georgia forced the Confederate troops to evacuate St. Simons Island. The lighthouse was destroyed to prevent its use by Union forces as a navigational aid. For the next ten years, Retreat Plantation's cotton barn, marked on U. S. Government maps as “King’s Cotton House,” served as a navigational reference for ships entering St. Simons Sound.

Following the conclusion of the Civil War, in 1867, construction of a second lighthouse, which stands today, commenced. This structure was placed west of the original lighthouse. The 104-foot tower, which has a 129-step cast-iron spiral staircase and an adjacent keeper's house were designed by one of Georgia's most noted architects, Charles Cluskey. A native of Ireland, Cluskey worked in Georgia between 1830 and 1846 designing Greek revival buildings. Later, he served as a consultant in Washington, assisting with renovations of public buildings such as the Capitol. An outbreak of malaria, which killed Cluskey and many of his crew, slowed construction on the new lighthouse, which was not completed until September 1872.

The existing conical tower stands one hundred feet tall; both the tower and the keeper’s cottage are made of handmade Savannah gray brick. In 1876, the U.S. Lighthouse Establishment performed a "thorough overhauling" at the lighthouse; workers weatherproofed the roof and walls of the dwelling and installed a speaking tube, which ran from the watch room to the house. One Sunday morning in 1880, tempers flared and the assistant lighthouse keeper murdered the keeper. According to legend, the slain keeper’s ghost is still found ascending the steps to service his light.

The brick oil house was added in 1890 when fuel for the lamps was changed from lard oil to kerosene. Fifteen whale oil-fed lamps suspended from chains within the lantern room were used for illumination. In 1857, a Third Order Fresno lens was installed, however, the current Third Order Fresno lens, which projects the beam eighteen miles, was installed in 1872. It is operated by one 1,000 watt mogul lamp rotating to produce one beam per minute. In 1934, the lighthouse began using electricity and in 1953, the lighthouse was fully automated.

The current owner of the lighthouse is the U. S. Coast Guard. The keeper’s cottage and grounds were sold to Glynn County in 1972; however, since 1984, the lighthouse has been leased to the Coastal Georgia Historical Society. The local Coast Guard Auxiliary maintains the optic.