Cockspur Island Lighthouse

Year Built

1855

Cost

$3,000

Type

Conical with ship's prow shaped base

Height

46 feet

Location

Chatham County

Automated Year

No

First Lit

1858

Lens Type

Fourth-order Fresnel

Fog Signal

None

Year Deactivated

1909

Color

White

Last Keeper - Date

Gustaf Ohman (1901 – at least 1912)

Description

The lighthouse is closed because it presents a number of hazards to park visitors and Lighthouse Island is closed as it is an active ecological restoration area.

Brief History

•  Cornelius Maher, the third keeper of the lights, drowned in 1853 when his boat capsized in the river.
•  The tower was struck by lightning in 1880 followed by the destruction of the interior by another hurricane.
•  In 1909, the deep draft ships calling at Savannah started to use the North Channel exclusively, and Cockspur Lighthouse was deactivated.
•  The United States Coast Guard relinquished control of this lighthouse to the National Park Service on August 14, 1958.
•  During the summer of 2021, a Fort Pulaski preservation team worked to stabilize the masonry in the lighthouse and replaced the entrance door and windows.