Cape Romain Lighthouses

Infobox_Lighthouse

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caption = Cape Romain Lighthouses on Lighthouse Island on Cape Romain Harbor
location = Charleston County, South Carolina
coordinates = coord|33|01|06.6|N|79|22|26.6|W|region:US_type:landmark(1827)
coord|33|01|08|N|79|22|25|W|region:US_type:landmark (1857)
yearbuilt = 1827 & 1857
yearlit = 1858 (1857)
automated = 1937 (1857)
yeardeactivated =1858 (1827)
1947 (1857)
foundation = Timber pile (1857)
construction = Brick (1827 & 1857)
shape = Conical (1827)
Octagonal (1857)
marking = Red (1827)
Upper 2/3: alternating white and black; Lower 1/3: white (1857)
height = 65 ft (19.8 m) (1827)
150 ft (45.7 m) (1857)
elevation = 87.5 ft (26.7 m) (1827)
161 ft (49.1 m) (1857)
lens = Winslow Lewis lamps and reflectors (1827)
1st order Fresnel (1857)
currentlens =
intensity =
range = 19 mi (30.6 km) (1857)
characteristic =

Cape Romain Lighthouses are a pair of brick lighthouses on Lighthouse Island southeast of McClellanville, South Carolina. The lighthouses are on the Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge. They survived Hurricane Hugo that devastated the area.

The original lighthouse, which was built by Winslow Lewis, is a 65 ft (19.8 m) conical brick tower. It originally had his lamps and reflectors. In 1847, twelve oil lamps with a parabolic reflector were installed. This lighthouse was taken out of service in 1858. It is one of few surviving Winslow Lewis lighthouses.

In 1857, an 150 ft (45.7 m) octagonal brick tower was built. In 1858, a first-order Fresnel lens was installed. Although is was out of service during the Civil War, it was operating in 1866. after the Civil War. In 1931, a revolving beacon replaced the Fresnel lens. It was automated in 1937 and decommissioned in 1947. Built slightly out of plumb, this tower has a distinct tilt. [Roberts, Bruce, and Jones, Ray, "Southern Lighthouses: Outer Banks to Cape Florida", 3rd ed., Globe Pequot Press, Guilford, CT, 2002, pp. 39-40, ISBN 0-7627-1243-0.] [Hollands, F. Ross, Jr., "Great American Lighthouses", Preservation Press, Washington, DC, p. 190-191, ISBN 0-89133-153-0.] [Edgar, Walter, ed. "The South Carolina Encyclopedia", University of South Carolina Press, 2006, p. 556-557, ISBN 1-57003-598-2 ]

The current daymark of the 1827 lighthouse is red, and the lantern is missing. The 1857 lighthouse has distinctive white and black markings. The upper two-thirds of the tower's octagonal sides alternate white and black; the lower one-third is white. Its lantern survives.

The lighthouse is on the National Register of Historic Places, #74001857. The South Carolina Department of Archives and History has additional pictures and information [ [http://www.nationalregister.sc.gov/charleston/S10817710114/index.htm South Carolina Department of Archives and History] ] and a copy of the nomination form for Cape Romain Lighthouses. [ [http://www.nationalregister.sc.gov/charleston/S10817710114/S10817710114.pdf National Register of Historic Places nomination form] ]

References

External links

* [http://www.lighthousefriends.com/light.asp?ID=335 Lighthousefriends.com Cape Romain Lighthouses page]
* [http://beachbum.homestead.com/Lighthouses/SouthCarolina/CapeRomain.html Current pictures from the Beach Bum's site]