- Collection:
- Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation Presentation Slide Collection, 1968-2000
- Title:
- St Simons Lighthouse and Keepers House
- Creator:
- Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation
- Contributor to Resource:
- Cluskey, C. B. (Charles Blaney), d. 1871
Poe, O. M. - Date of Original:
- 1975
- Subject:
- Architecture
Historic sites--Georgia--Glynn County
Historic buildings--Georgia--Glynn County
Architecture, Domestic--Georgia--Glynn County
Lighthouses
Saint Simon's Island Lighthouse (Ga.)
Cultural property--Protection
Historic preservation--Georgia
Historic buildings--Conservation and restoration - Location:
- United States, Georgia, Glynn County, Saint Simons Island, 31.15051, -81.36954
- Medium:
- color slides
historic preservation
historic buildings - Type:
- Still Image
- Format:
- image/jp2
- Description:
- From its National Register of Historic Places nomination form, prepared in 1972 by William R. Mitchell, Director, of the Georgia Historic Sites Survey, and Carole A. Summers, Assistant: On the southern tip of Saint Simons Island, one of Georgia's "Golden Isles, the Lighthouse Keepers Building stands today essentially unaltered from its appearance when completed. It is a good example of mid-Victorian, Romantic Eclectic architecture. The 2-story brick structure was built to accommodate two lighthouse keepers and their families. (Local authorities report that it was the only brick dwelling in Glynn County prior to 1880.) The land on which the Lighthouse Keepers Building stands was included within Fort Saint Simons, built 1737, which with "Delegal's Fort at Sea Point" commanded the entrance to the harbor. These two forts played a vital role in the successful defense of the area during the English-Spanish conflicts of the mid-18th century. The first lighthouse at the site was completed circa 1810 and the contractor, James Gould, was appointed the first keeper by President James Madison. To prevent its use by Federal/Union ships during the Civil War, the lighthouse station was blown up by Confederate soldiers in 1862. Designs for a new lighthouse and keepers dwelling were drawn in 1867 "under direction of Brevet Brigadier General O.M. Poe, Sherman's chief engineer during the Atlanta and Savannah campaigns of 1864. Construction of the present lighthouse and accompanying buildings were contracted in 1868 to Charles B. Cluskey, a notable figure in Classical Revival architecture. Completion of the work was delayed for several years, when Cluskey died of malaria on the work site. The lighthouse light was exhibited for the first time on the night of September 1, 1872. Automation of the lighthouse in 1964 made it unnecessary to retain a keeper there. More recently, the structure housed an exploratory fishing and gear research station. On August 25, 1971, the Keepers Building was conveyed to the Board of Commissioners, Glynn County, by the U.S. government with the stipulation that the structure be used "as and for an historic monument, and for no other purpose." On May 26, 2004, ownership of the lighthouse was transferred to the Coastal Georgia Historical Society under the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act. The light mechanism is maintained by the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary. Variant names include: St Simons Lighthouse and Keepers House, Saint Simon's Island Lighthouse (Ga.),St Simon's Island Lighthouse (Ga.). See ref# 72000386 (St. Simons Lighthouse and Lighthouse Keepers' Building) https://www.nps.gov/subjects/nationalregister/upload/national-register-listed-20240710.xlsx
- External Identifiers:
- Metadata URL:
- https://dlg.usg.edu/record/gthp_gthp-slides_342
- Digital Object URL:
- https://dlg.usg.edu/record/gthp_gthp-slides_342#item
- IIIF manifest:
- https://dlg.usg.edu/record/gthp_gthp-slides_342/presentation/manifest.json
- Language:
- eng
- Additional Rights Information:
- Please contact holding institution for information regarding use and copyright status.
- Holding Institution:
- Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation
- Rights:
-
