Cockspur Island Lighthouse
By Amy Cecelia LoPresti Owens
Guardian of Savannah Nights
As I am sitting with a nice cuppa tea, the thunder is rolling, the wind
is howling and the rain is pouring down. No, it is not a hurricane crashing
upon Tybee Island, rather an afternoon storm here in the North Carolina
Foothills! I would like to share with you a tale of the Cockspur Island
Lighthouse...a wonderful little lighthouse that has withstood the tests of
time put upon her by nature and man! A strong yet fragile lighthouse that
is currently in desperate need of preservation.
There is something both mysterious and magical about lighthouses.
These architectural treasures represent something different for each of
us. For some, it may be that a lighthouse is a beacon of hope and joy.
For others, they could be that guiding light in the darkness of difficult
times. Seeing a lighthouse on a grassy knoll or on a sandy stretch of
beach is always a moving experience for me. But, it is the Cockspur
Island Lighthouse standing on her little islet in the middle of the Savannah
River that takes my breath away! It was this deep feeling that stirred the
historical photojournalist in me to see the realization of writing a book
about the Cockspur Island Lighthouse...and so the journey began!
The first time I saw the Cockspur Island Lighthouse was a chilly day
in 1979. My family was in Savannah and visited the Fort Pulaski National
Monument. I don’t actually remember this day, but photographs from the
family album show us clearly there. A shot at the fort entrance; my sisters
and I standing with our mama. Another with us sitting together in front of
one of the cannons on the top of the fort. There are two photographs of us
girls standing with our daddy at an opening in the upper fort wall looking
out. The unequivocal proof is in the upper corner of one of the photographs
taken by our mama...standing tiny but true in the distance stands the
Cockspur Island Lighthouse!
Could it be on that day the Cockspur Island Lighthouse was imprinted in
my memories or was it when I saw her again in 2006 with my daughters?
We were navigating the streets in the early morning hours to see the
Tybee Island Lighthouse. As we drove over the Lazaretto Creek Bridge,
something grasped my attention off to the left. It was an odd feeling that
made me stop (thankfully no traffic at that early hour) for a quick glance
over the bridge railing. There, out in the river, standing under a veil of fog
was a small lighthouse. But why had I not realized before that there was
another lighthouse close by to add to our adventure day? Was she really
out there or was the fog playing a trick on my eyes?
Once we made it to the Tybee Island Lighthouse, the tour guide confirmed
that there was, in fact, a lighthouse standing in the Savannah River. He
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gave us a tid-bit of information that I took as bait and from that moment
knew I would learn all I could about this mysterious lighthouse! On the
way back into Savannah, we paused again crossing the bridge for one
more glimpse. I planned to return another day when there was time to get
closer to this beautiful lighthouse. Yes, in my eyes she was beautiful! What
could not be aesthetically pleasing about a whitewashed brick lighthouse,
holding her own as waves crashed about her base?
True to the plan, I began researching the history of the Cockspur Island
Lighthouse. The Cockspur Island Lighthouse started off as a daymark; a
tower not fitted with a light. It was constructed of Savannah Gray Clay
bricks in a conical shape situated on a tiny islet off the southeastern tip of
Cockspur Island. Its purpose was to indicate the Savannah River’s South
Channel entrance to mariners. There is unsubstantiated documentation
of when the first tower was constructed. Historical papers refer to a
recommendation of the construction of a beacon as early as 1826. Over
the years, there were notations of further construction references and
that a tower sustaining storm damage needed to be rebuilt. In the end,
a non-specific date of construction is recorded as between March 1837
and November 1839. In 1848 the tower had repair work and alterations
completed. It was at this time that it would be fitted with its first light; five
lamps with 14” reflectors emanating a fixed white light. The tower was
established as a lighthouse in 1849.
The Cockspur Island Lighthouse inevitably met its fate at the hands
of a hurricane in 1854. When a decision to rebuild began in 1855, plans
were made for an enlarged tower (46’ tall) and the addition of a Sixth
Order Fresnel lens. This new light would shine without failing until it
was extinguished during the Civil War in 1861. Thankfully, the lighthouse
survived the bombardments between Yankee troops at batteries on Tybee
Island and Confederate troops at Fort Pulaski...due to her being so short
in stature! Her light was re-lit on April 25, 1866. The tower would be
Fort Pulaski with family 1979
The Cockspur Island Lighthouse