Cape Romain Lighthouse

Year Built

1857

Cost

$50,000

Type

Octagon

Height

151 feet

Location

Charleston County

Automated Year

N/A

First Lit

1858

Lens Type

First order Fresnel

Fog Signal

None

Year Deactivated

1947

Color

Upper 2/3: alternating white and black; Lower 1/3: white

Last Keeper - Date

Lemuel G. Owens (1934 – 1937)

Description

Tours are offered by boat to the lighthouse and you can enter the lower sections but climbing is not allowed at this time.

Brief History

•  Three years after the new light commenced operation, the first shots of the war that would free the slaves who worked on the tower were fired at Fort Sumter, just a few miles south of Cape Romain.
•  In 1886, the old tower was fitted with a concrete floor, a fire-proof door, and shelving so it could serve as an oil house capable of storing 450 cans of oil.
•  Cape Romain Light Station was modernized in 1931 through the installation of two gasoline electric generators in a new combination power and store house.
•  In 1947 when coastal navigation technology made lighthouses obsolete, the light was taken out of service.
•  The keeper's house and several other supporting buildings were dismantled in 1964.