Original structure The original St.Simons Island lighthouse, which was built in 1810, was a early federal octagonal lighthouse topped by a oil-burning lamp. During the
American Civil War, U.S.military forces employed a
naval blockade of the coast. An invasion by U.S.Army troops in 1862 forced
Confederate soldiers to abandon the area. The retreating troops destroyed the lighthouse to prevent it from aiding the navigation of U.S.Navy
warships.
Current structure The
U.S.government constructed a new lighthouse to replace the original, building it to the west of the original's location. It is a brick structure completed in 1872 and was outfitted with a third-order,
biconvex Fresnel lens. The lens is one of 79such lenses that remain operational in the United States. Fifteen of these are in use in the
Southern United States, of which two are in Georgia. The rotating lens projects four beams of light, with one strong flash every 60seconds. On July1, 1939, the
United States Lighthouse Service was placed under the jurisdiction of the
US Coast Guard. In 1972, the lightkeepers' cottage was leased to Glynn County. The Coastal Georgia Historical Society spent three years restoring the two-story
Victorian lightkeepers' cottage at the base of the lighthouse, which was then converted into a museum. In 1984, they leased the historic lighthouse structure. For a fee, the public can tour the museum and climb the 129 steps to the top of the lighthouse for a view of
St.Simons Sound and the surrounding area. The St.Simons Lighthouse, along with the northernmost water tower on
Jekyll Island, creates the
demarcation line that separates St.Simons Sound from the
Atlantic Ocean. The lighthouse is a
picturesque and beloved symbol of St.Simons Island and of
Glynn County, Georgia. It is the subject of many paintings and other artistic renderings.
2010 restoration In 2010, the St.Simons Island lighthouse underwent a significant renovation. It was closed to the public for several months while all interior and exterior paint was sandblasted off and then repainted. Eight iron handrail posts at the top of the tower were replaced, having been recast from one of the originals. All
ironwork was sandblasted and repaired as needed. During the restoration, great lengths were taken to protect the valuable
Fresnel lens. It was bubble wrapped, shrink-wrapped, and finally enclosed in a plywood box. A temporary spotlight attached to the galley of the lighthouse continued to guide ships into the sound while the main light was out of operation.
List of head keepers • James Gould (1811–1837) • Lachlan McIntosh (1837–1852) • Alexander D. McIntosh (1852–1855) • John F. Carmon (1855–1861) • Bradford B. Brunt (1872–1874) • Frederick Osborne (1874–1880) • George W. Ashbell (1880–1883) • Isaac L. Peckham (1883–1892) • Joseph Champagne (1892–1907) • Carl O. Svendsen (1907–1935) • Arthur F. Hodge (1936–1945) • David O'Hagan (1945–1953) ==Museum==