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Little Cumberland Island Light
Littlecumberlandisland.jpg
Little Cumberland Island Lighthouse
Little Cumberland Island Light is located in Georgia (U.S. state)
Little Cumberland Island Light
Little Cumberland Island Light
Location in Georgia (U.S. state)
Location Northern end of Little Cumberland Island, Georgia
Coordinates 30°58′34″N 81°24′47″W / 30.97611°N 81.41306°W / 30.97611; -81.41306
Year first constructed 1838
Year first lit 1838
Deactivated 1915
Foundation Brick
Construction Brick
Tower shape conical
Markings / pattern White tower with black lantern
Height 60 feet (18 m)
Focal height 71 feet (22 m)
Original lens 1838: 14 Lewis lamps
1857: Third-order Fresnel lens
Current lens None
Range 14 nautical miles (26 km; 16 mi)
Characteristic Fixed white
ARLHS number USA-439

The Little Cumberland Island Lighthouse is a privately owned lighthouse 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.

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

Little Cumberland Island Lighthouse 2016
The lighthouse as seen from Jekyll Island

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.

Little Cumberland Island - Lighthouse - 2016
Photograph of the Little Cumberland Island lighthouse after its restoration in 2016.

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, thanks to dedicated owners, the lighthouse has been restored and remains in pristine condition. The lighthouse was renovated by the owners from 1994 to 1998 and again in 2016 by the nationally acclaimed company The Durable Restoration Company. The lighthouse house and surrounding property is privately owned and is not open to the public. A large dune protects the lighthouse from the ocean, and 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.

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