Tybee Island Light Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids
Tybee Island Light
Location	Tybee Island, Georgia
Coordinates	32°01′20″N 80°50′44″W / 32.02223°N 80.84566°W / 32.02223; -80.84566
Year first constructed	1736
Year first lit	1867
Automated	1972
Foundation	Stone and timber
Construction	Brick
Tower shape	Octagonal
Markings / pattern	lower 50 feet (15 m) black, upper part white; lantern, black
Height	144 feet (44 m)
Original lens	1791:Oil lamps; 1867:First order Fresnel lens
Range	16 nautical miles; 29 kilometres (18 mi)
Characteristic	Fixed white

The Tybee Island Light is a famous lighthouse located on the northeast end of Tybee Island, Georgia. It stands right next to the Savannah River Entrance. This lighthouse is special because it's one of only seven lighthouse towers from the colonial era that are still standing today. Even though it's been changed a lot since the mid-1800s, it has a long and interesting history.

The Story of Tybee Island Lighthouse
Images for kids
See also

The Story of Tybee Island Lighthouse

The lighthouse you see today is actually the fourth one built in this spot! The first two towers were never even lit up to guide ships.

Early Lighthouse Attempts

The very first tower was built in 1736. It was made of wood, following instructions from James Oglethorpe. But a big storm knocked it down in 1741.

A year later, in 1742, a new tower was built. This one used both stone and wood. It still didn't have a light; instead, it had a flag pole on top. Sadly, this tower also fell apart because the shoreline started to wash away.

The Third Tower and Civil War

The third tower was built in 1773 by a man named John Mullryne. This time, it was made of brick and was about 100 ft (30 m) tall. At first, it used reflectors and candles to create light. But after the lighthouse was given to the federal government in 1790, it was updated with oil lamps.

In 1822, a second tower was added nearby. This was to create a "range light" system, which helps ships know they are on the right path. Both towers got special Fresnel lenses in 1857. A Fresnel lens is a special type of lens that can make a lighthouse beam much brighter and send it farther. The smaller front tower got a 4th order lens, and the main tower got a larger 2nd order lens.

During the American Civil War, in 1862, Confederate soldiers burned the lighthouse. They also took the lens when they left to go to Fort Pulaski.

Rebuilding and Modern Times

Work to rebuild the lighthouse started in 1866. But it was delayed because many people got sick with cholera. A new tower was built on top of the first 60 ft (18 m) of the old tower. This made the whole lighthouse 154 ft (47 m) tall. This new tower got a powerful 1st order lens. The front beacon was replaced with a 50 ft (15 m) wooden tower that had a new 4th order lens.

In 1871, a hurricane badly damaged the main tower. It cracked so much that people thought it needed to be replaced. Instead, a new front tower was built from iron. This front tower had already been moved twice before! New homes for the lighthouse keepers were built in 1881 and 1885.

In 1886, an earthquake in Charleston shook the tower. It damaged the lens and caused more cracks in the brick. But these were fixed right away. In 1933, the tower was updated with electricity. This meant fewer keepers were needed. The beacon became automated in 1972, meaning it could run by itself without a keeper.

Changes to the Lighthouse's Look

Over the years, the outside look of the tower, called its daymark, changed many times. It was first all white. In 1887, the bottom and the top lantern part were painted black. This changed again in 1914 and 1916, with more black paint added further down the tower.

In 1967, the whole tower was repainted with a white bottom and a gray top. But the gray faded quickly, so it was painted black in 1970.

Recent Restoration Efforts

In 1999, a big project began to restore the lighthouse. The Tybee Island Historical Society took over the light station in 2002. This happened under a special law called the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act. As part of this project, the tower was painted back to its 1916–1966 look: black, white, and black.

The lighthouse is still working today, helping ships navigate. It even uses its original lens! You can visit the site, see the lighthouse tower, and explore the old keepers' houses and other buildings.