Georgetown Light
Encyclopedia
Georgetown Light on North Island at the entrance to Winyah Bay
southeast of Georgetown, South Carolina
, is an active light. The light is maintained by the U.S. Coast Guard, and the lighthouse is now under the control of State of South Carolina as part of the Tom Yawkey Wildlife Center Heritage Preserve.
The original lighthouse was a 72 ft (22 m) cypress tower. It was destroyed by a storm in 1806. In 1812, an 87 ft (26.5 m) tower was built. In 1857, a fourth-order Fresnel lens
was installed. It was rebuilt in 1867 after the Civil War
.
The light was automated in 1986. Its current characteristic
is a white light with a 3 s flash, 2 s off, 3 s flash, and 7 s off. The focal plane is 85 ft (25.9 m) above mean sea level.
The lighthouse is on the National Register of Historic Places
, #74001859. The South Carolina Department of Archives and History has additional pictures and information and a copy of the nomination form for Georgetown Lighthouse.
Winyah Bay
Winyah Bay is a coastal estuary that is the confluence of the Waccamaw River, the Pee Dee River, the Black River and the Sampit River in Georgetown County in eastern South Carolina...
southeast of Georgetown, South Carolina
Georgetown, South Carolina
Georgetown is the third oldest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina and the county seat of Georgetown County, in the Low Country. Located on Winyah Bay at the confluence of the Great Pee Dee River, Waccamaw River, and Sampit River, Georgetown is the second largest seaport in South Carolina,...
, is an active light. The light is maintained by the U.S. Coast Guard, and the lighthouse is now under the control of State of South Carolina as part of the Tom Yawkey Wildlife Center Heritage Preserve.
The original lighthouse was a 72 ft (22 m) cypress tower. It was destroyed by a storm in 1806. In 1812, an 87 ft (26.5 m) tower was built. In 1857, a fourth-order Fresnel lens
Fresnel lens
A Fresnel lens is a type of lens originally developed by French physicist Augustin-Jean Fresnel for lighthouses.The design allows the construction of lenses of large aperture and short focal length without the mass and volume of material that would be required by a lens of conventional design...
was installed. It was rebuilt in 1867 after the 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...
.
The light was automated in 1986. Its current characteristic
Characteristic light
A light characteristic is a graphic and text description of a navigational light sequence or colour displayed on a nautical chart or in a Light List with the chart symbol for a lighthouse, lightvessel, buoy or sea mark with a light on it. The graphic indicates how the real light beacon may be...
is a white light with a 3 s flash, 2 s off, 3 s flash, and 7 s off. The focal plane is 85 ft (25.9 m) above mean sea level.
The lighthouse is 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...
, #74001859. The South Carolina Department of Archives and History has additional pictures and information and a copy of the nomination form for Georgetown Lighthouse.