Tybee Island Light Station
Encyclopedia
The Tybee Island Light, also known simply as the Tybee Lighthouse is located on Tybee Island, Georgia
, east of Savannah
at the mouth of the Savannah River
. The Tybee Lighthouse is one of just a handful of 18th century lighthouses still in operation in North America.
on Tybee Island to safely guide mariners into Savannah harbor.http://www.tybeelighthouse.org/lighthouse-history.htm The original lighthouse was first completed in 1736. It was made of brick and wood and stood 90 feet (27.4 m) tall, making it the highest structure in colonial America
at that time. Five years later the lighthouse was destroyed by a horrible storm.
In 1742 a second lighthouse was finished; this version reached 94 feet (28.7 m) tall 4 feet (1.2 m) taller than the first lighthouse. In 1773 a third lighthouse was built which was also destroyed, this time in 1862 by Confederate
troops from nearby Fort Pulaski. Of the 100 feet (30.5 m) of the third lighthouse only 60 feet (18.3 m) remained which served as a rebuilding point for a fourth lighthouse.
In 1869 it was decided that the lighthouse must be protected from ever increasing tides and gale force winds so it was moved 164 feet (50 m) back from the shoreline. In the years from 1871 and 1886 the walls of the lighthouse became cracked by storm forces and later the light lens was broken by the Charleston earthquake
of 1886.
The latest incarnation of the Tybee Island lighthouse stands at 154 feet (46.9 m) and in 1933 became an electrically driven lighthouse. Because modern marine navigation techniques outgrew the need for such a lighthouse, the Tybee Island lighthouse became obsolete. Just three weeks after it became electrically driven it was donated to the Tybee Island Historical Society by the U.S. government.
Today the Tybee Lighthouse is a popular tourist destination, having all of its support buildings on the 5 acres (20,234.3 m²) site historically preserved. The current black and white tower markings is a reversion to its fourth day mark, first used in 1916
Tybee Island, Georgia
Tybee Island is an island and city in Chatham County, Georgia near the city of Savannah in the southeastern United States. It is the easternmost point in the state of Georgia. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 2,990. Tybee Island is an island and city in Chatham County, Georgia near...
, east of Savannah
Savannah, Georgia
Savannah is the largest city and the county seat of Chatham County, in the U.S. state of Georgia. Established in 1733, the city of Savannah was the colonial capital of the Province of Georgia and later the first state capital of Georgia. Today Savannah is an industrial center and an important...
at the mouth of the Savannah River
Savannah River
The Savannah River is a major river in the southeastern United States, forming most of the border between the states of South Carolina and Georgia. Two tributaries of the Savannah, the Tugaloo River and the Chattooga River, form the northernmost part of the border...
. The Tybee Lighthouse is one of just a handful of 18th century lighthouses still in operation in North America.
History
In 1732, General James Oglethorpe, Governor of the 13th colony ordered construction of a lighthouseLighthouse
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....
on Tybee Island to safely guide mariners into Savannah harbor.http://www.tybeelighthouse.org/lighthouse-history.htm The original lighthouse was first completed in 1736. It was made of brick and wood and stood 90 feet (27.4 m) tall, making it the highest structure in colonial America
Colonial America
The colonial history of the United States covers the history from the start of European settlement and especially the history of the thirteen colonies of Britain until they declared independence in 1776. In the late 16th century, England, France, Spain and the Netherlands launched major...
at that time. Five years later the lighthouse was destroyed by a horrible storm.
In 1742 a second lighthouse was finished; this version reached 94 feet (28.7 m) tall 4 feet (1.2 m) taller than the first lighthouse. In 1773 a third lighthouse was built which was also destroyed, this time in 1862 by Confederate
Confederate States of America
The 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...
troops from nearby Fort Pulaski. Of the 100 feet (30.5 m) of the third lighthouse only 60 feet (18.3 m) remained which served as a rebuilding point for a fourth lighthouse.
In 1869 it was decided that the lighthouse must be protected from ever increasing tides and gale force winds so it was moved 164 feet (50 m) back from the shoreline. In the years from 1871 and 1886 the walls of the lighthouse became cracked by storm forces and later the light lens was broken by the Charleston earthquake
Charleston earthquake
The Charleston Earthquake of 1886 was a powerful intraplate earthquake that hit the area of Charleston, South Carolina. After the 1811 and 1812 quakes in New Madrid, Missouri, it is one of the most powerful and damaging quakes to hit the southeastern United States. The shaking occurred at 9:50 p.m....
of 1886.
The latest incarnation of the Tybee Island lighthouse stands at 154 feet (46.9 m) and in 1933 became an electrically driven lighthouse. Because modern marine navigation techniques outgrew the need for such a lighthouse, the Tybee Island lighthouse became obsolete. Just three weeks after it became electrically driven it was donated to the Tybee Island Historical Society by the U.S. government.
Today the Tybee Lighthouse is a popular tourist destination, having all of its support buildings on the 5 acres (20,234.3 m²) site historically preserved. The current black and white tower markings is a reversion to its fourth day mark, first used in 1916
External links
- http://www.tybeelighthouse.org/
- http://tybeevisit.com/attractions-tybee-lighthouse.php