Sapelo Island Lighthouse

Year Built

1820

Cost

$14,500

Type

Conical

Height

80 feet

Location

Darien

Automated Year

N/A

First Lit

1820

Lens Type

Lewis lamp (1820) - Fourth-order Fresnel lens (1854)

Fog Signal

None

Year Deactivated

1905 to 1998

Color

Six alternate red and white horizontal

Last Keeper - Date

Robert H. Cromley (1926 – 1933)

Description

The tower is part of the Sapelo Island Estuarine Reserve and is open to the public.

Brief History

•  Alexander Hazzard was appointed head keeper of the light in 1853. His salary was $600 annually.
•  Originally equipped with fifteen 16-inch parabolic oil lamps on a revolving platform, a fourth order Fresnel lens was installed in 1854.
•  The lens was removed during the Civil War.
•  It was extensively repaired after an 1867 storm and relit in 1868.
•  In October of 1898 Sapelo Island was hit by a hurricane which caused serious damage to the light tower and its foundation.