Cockspur Island Light
Encyclopedia
The Cockspur Island Light is a small lighthouse
located in Chatham County, Georgia
. It ceased operation as an active beacon in 1909. It has been relit since 2007 for historical rather than navigational purposes.
The lighthouse is situated on an islet off Cockspur Island
at the south channel of the Savannah River
near Lazaretto Creek, northwest of Tybee Island, Georgia
. It is part of Fort Pulaski National Monument
and can be reached from that site. The island is subject to tidal flooding and as a result transportation to the lighthouse is most often by small boat, but can be accessed by crossing a small body of water from Cockspur Island. This is approximately 4 to 5 feet (1.5 m) deep at low tide and does have a current, so crossing on foot or by swimming is not advisable.
and mussel
bed. This lighthouse is unique in that the base is shaped like the prow
of a ship to reduce the impact of the waves on the structure. The lighthouse is open to the public although no official tours or accommodations are made. However, visitors to the area frequently access the beacon by kayak. The National Park Service cut a trail to the lighthouse through the brush in 2005 to allow visitors a closer vantage point. The trail begins on the northeast side of the fort and is about 0.8 mile (1.3 km) long. At low tide, hikers can get within approximately 200 yards (180 m) of the lighthouse.
. Construction lasted from March 1837 to November 1839. By 1848 it was retrofitted with lights and reflectors. It housed a fixed white light from five lamps with 14 inch reflectors that shone 9 miles (14 km) at a height of 25 feet (7.6 m) above sea level. It was damaged by a hurricane in 1854. The larger replacement that was built in 1855 on the same foundation was designed by New York
architect John S. Norris
.
The light was extinguished for a time during the American Civil War
during the battle that brought the defeat of Fort Pulaski
. The lighthouse suffered little or no damage, even though it was in direct line of fire. It was relit in 1866.
On June 1, 1909, the light was finally extinguished, because the south channel was infrequently used, compared to the deeper and wider North Channel of the Savannah River. The United States Coast Guard
relinquished control of this lighthouse to the National Park Service
on August 14, 1958. Along with the entire National Monument, the lighthouse is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
. Starting in 1995 and lasting until 2000, the upper portions of the lighthouse were restored, although the foundations still require protection from wave action and tidal erosion.
On March 18, 2007 at 7:30 p.m. the lighthouse was relit in a ceremony hosted by the National Park Service and the U.S. Coast Guard.
Lighthouse
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....
located in Chatham County, Georgia
Chatham County, Georgia
Chatham County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. The county seat and largest city is Savannah. In the official US Census of 2010, Chatham County had a total population of 265,128 . Chatham is the most populous Georgia county outside the Atlanta metropolitan area...
. It ceased operation as an active beacon in 1909. It has been relit since 2007 for historical rather than navigational purposes.
The lighthouse is situated on an islet off Cockspur Island
Cockspur Island
Cockspur Island is an island in the south channel of the Savannah River near Lazaretto Creek, northwest of Tybee Island, Georgia, USA. Most of the island is within the boundaries of Fort Pulaski National Monument....
at the south channel 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...
near Lazaretto Creek, northwest of Tybee Island, Georgia
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...
. It is part of Fort Pulaski National Monument
Fort Pulaski National Monument
Fort Pulaski National Monument is located between Savannah and Tybee Island, Georgia. It preserves Fort Pulaski, notable as the place where, during the American Civil War, in 1862, the Union Army successfully tested a rifled cannon. The success of the test rendered brick fortifications obsolete....
and can be reached from that site. The island is subject to tidal flooding and as a result transportation to the lighthouse is most often by small boat, but can be accessed by crossing a small body of water from Cockspur Island. This is approximately 4 to 5 feet (1.5 m) deep at low tide and does have a current, so crossing on foot or by swimming is not advisable.
Features
The lighthouse is built on an oysterOyster
The word oyster is used as a common name for a number of distinct groups of bivalve molluscs which live in marine or brackish habitats. The valves are highly calcified....
and mussel
Mussel
The common name mussel is used for members of several families of clams or bivalvia mollusca, from saltwater and freshwater habitats. These groups have in common a shell whose outline is elongated and asymmetrical compared with other edible clams, which are often more or less rounded or oval.The...
bed. This lighthouse is unique in that the base is shaped like the prow
Prow
thumb|right|295pxThe prow is the forward most part of a ship's bow that cuts through the water. The prow is the part of the bow above the waterline. The terms prow and bow are often used interchangeably to describe the most forward part of a ship and its surrounding parts...
of a ship to reduce the impact of the waves on the structure. The lighthouse is open to the public although no official tours or accommodations are made. However, visitors to the area frequently access the beacon by kayak. The National Park Service cut a trail to the lighthouse through the brush in 2005 to allow visitors a closer vantage point. The trail begins on the northeast side of the fort and is about 0.8 mile (1.3 km) long. At low tide, hikers can get within approximately 200 yards (180 m) of the lighthouse.
Historical Information
This lighthouse was initially built as a daymarker without lights to indicate the entrance to the South Channel of the Savannah RiverSavannah 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...
. Construction lasted from March 1837 to November 1839. By 1848 it was retrofitted with lights and reflectors. It housed a fixed white light from five lamps with 14 inch reflectors that shone 9 miles (14 km) at a height of 25 feet (7.6 m) above sea level. It was damaged by a hurricane in 1854. The larger replacement that was built in 1855 on the same foundation was designed by New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
architect John S. Norris
John S. Norris
John S. Norris was an American architect.He was born and raised in New York City, where he began his career as a mason. He advanced to being a builder and eventually listed himself in the telephone directory as an architect....
.
The light was extinguished for a time during the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
during the battle that brought the defeat of Fort Pulaski
Fort Pulaski National Monument
Fort Pulaski National Monument is located between Savannah and Tybee Island, Georgia. It preserves Fort Pulaski, notable as the place where, during the American Civil War, in 1862, the Union Army successfully tested a rifled cannon. The success of the test rendered brick fortifications obsolete....
. The lighthouse suffered little or no damage, even though it was in direct line of fire. It was relit in 1866.
On June 1, 1909, the light was finally extinguished, because the south channel was infrequently used, compared to the deeper and wider North Channel of the Savannah River. The United States Coast Guard
United States Coast Guard
The United States Coast Guard is a branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven U.S. uniformed services. The Coast Guard is a maritime, military, multi-mission service unique among the military branches for having a maritime law enforcement mission and a federal regulatory agency...
relinquished control of this lighthouse to the National Park Service
National Park Service
The National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...
on August 14, 1958. Along with the entire National Monument, the lighthouse is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
. Starting in 1995 and lasting until 2000, the upper portions of the lighthouse were restored, although the foundations still require protection from wave action and tidal erosion.
On March 18, 2007 at 7:30 p.m. the lighthouse was relit in a ceremony hosted by the National Park Service and the U.S. Coast Guard.
External links
- Fort Pulaski National Monument — Cockspur Island Lighthouse (NPS)
- Inventory of Historic Light Stations — Cockspur Island Light (NPS)
- Georgia Lighthouse Pictures — Cockspur Island Light and the other three Georgia lighthouses