Saint Helena Island in Beaufort County, South Carolina — The American South (South Atlantic)

A Life-Saving Light Station

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, May 1, 2019

1. A Life-Saving Light Station Marker

Inscription. Sandbars may not seem dangerous, but those off the coast of Hunting Island could destroy a ship and put everyone onboard in peril. To guard against that, lightkeepers and their families lived here, making sure this lighthouse warned sailors of hidden dangers.

Today, you can visit exhibits in the outbuildings, see the remains of the lightkeeper's home, and climb the lighthouse as keepers did each day.

Honoring its importance in our nation's story, this site is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Help preserve it by treating the structures with care. Digging or using metal detectors is prohibited.

Erected by Hunting Island State Park.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Notable Buildings.

Location. 32° 22.549′ N, 80° 26.259′ W. Marker is on Saint Helena Island, South Carolina, in Beaufort County. Marker can be reached from North Beach Road, 0.6 miles north of Hunting Island Drive. Marker is located on the Hunting Island Light Station grounds in Hunting Island State Park, overlooking the lighthouse. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 2555 Sea Island Parkway, Saint Helena Island SC 29920, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 9 miles of this marker, measured as the

Paid Advertisement

Click on the ad for more information.
Please report objectionable advertising to the Editor.

Click or scan to see
this page online

crow flies. Fuel for the Flame (within shouting distance of this marker); A Guiding Light (within shouting distance of this marker); Island Delivery Service (within shouting distance of this marker); Harvesting Drinking Water (within shouting distance of this marker); Home at the Lighthouse (within shouting distance of this marker); Hunting Island Light Station (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Chapel of Ease (approx. 8.1 miles away); Penn School (approx. 8.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Saint Helena Island.

Regarding A Life-Saving Light Station. National Register of Historic Places #70000561

Related markers. Click here for a list of markers that are related to this marker. Hunting Island Lighthouse

Also see . . . Hunting Island Lighthouse. The original Hunting Island Lighthouse is no longer standing. Confederate forces blew up the lighthouse in 1861 to hinder the approach of the Union fleet before the Battle of Port Royal. Plans for a new tower were made a few years after the war, and Congress awarded $30,000 on June 10, 1872 to start its construction. A survey of the northern end of Hunting Island made in 1872 by the district engineer found that about a half mile of shoreline had been lost during the previous three years. This rapid rate of erosion

A Life-Saving Light Station Marker<br>(<i>tall view • lighthouse in background</i>) image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, May 1, 2019

2. A Life-Saving Light Station Marker
(tall view • lighthouse in background)

prompted the Lighthouse Board to request an additional $50,000 so an iron lighthouse, capable of being relocated, could be built. (Submitted on June 17, 2019, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)

View north from atop the lighthouse image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, May 1, 2019

3. View north from atop the lighthouse

Hunting Island Light Station image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, May 1, 2019

4. Hunting Island Light Station

100,000 Candlepower<br>(<i>interpretive panel inside lighthouse</i>) image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, May 1, 2019

5. 100,000 Candlepower
(interpretive panel inside lighthouse)

The lighting mechanism at Hunting Island featured the most technologically advanced fixtures available in the U.S. Lighthouse Service. Its flame came from oil vaporized within a hollow wick or mantle, similar to modern kerosene camping lanterns.

Fresnel lenses are graded according to size and intensity. Hunting Island boasted a "second order" lens, meaning that there was only one class of lighthouse with a more powerful beam.

The light itself didn't move. It sat in the middle of the lens, surrounded by a small brass track upon which the reflector was mounted. When the mechanism was wound up, the reflector circled inside the lens twice each minute.

Credits. This page was last revised on June 18, 2019. It was originally submitted on June 17, 2019, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 144 times since then and 19 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on June 17, 2019, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. 3. submitted on June 18, 2019, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. 4. submitted on June 17, 2019, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. 5. submitted on June 18, 2019, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.