129 Steps of the SSI Lighthouse

The original light house on the southern tip of St. Simons Island was built in 1810.  During the Civil War, an invasion by Union troops forced Confederate soldiers to abandon the area in 1862.  As the troops retreated, they destroyed the lighthouse to prevent it from being used by Union warships. The current light house was built in 1872 and is a 104 feet brick structure affixed with a Fresnel lens.  The cast iron spiral stairway has 129 steps leading to a galley or watch room.  We climbed all 129 steps to the top and walked around the outside walkway.  Of special interest to us is that the lighthouse is reportedly haunted by the ghost of light keeper Frederick Osborn who was killed in a duel with the assistant light keeper in 1880.  We did not see any evidence of a ghost on our visit, but we were haunted by the trip up the 129 steps on the following day.  

View of the pier from the top of the lighthouse

Neptune water park and mini golf

Fresnel Lenses

The lighthouse is attached to the light keeper's home

The museum highlighting the history of the lighthouse is in the light keeper's home on the lower level.  The residence is as it might have been on the second floor of the home.  Today, the house requires no keeper as the lights are electric now.  On May 26, 2004, ownership of the lighthouse transferred to the Coastal Georgia Historical Society under the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act, while the light mechanism is maintained by the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary.


Joy