Hilton Head Rear Range Lighthouse

Year Built

1879

Cost

$10,000

Type

Skeleton tower, Cylindrical stairs tower

Height

87 feet

Location

Hilton Head Island,

Automated Year

N/A

First Lit

1880

Lens Type

Funck-Heap lamps

Fog Signal

None

Year Deactivated

1932

Color

White

Last Keeper - Date

Bernard J. Calvert (1866 – 1869)

Description

Only the 92-foot structure survives, along with a vintage brick oil house and a water cistern. The lighthouse is not open for visitors to view inside or to climb to the top.

Brief History

•  Lighthouse keepers would climb 112 steps to reach the hexagonal watch room.
•  The tower originally had Hains oil lamps, which were replaced in 1893 with Funck-Heap lamps.
•  In 1898, a major hurricane lashed the South Carolina coast. Determined to keep the light burning, lighthouse keeper Adam Fripp died of a heart attack during the storm.
•  During World War II, however, the structure served as a lookout tower to spot enemy ships.
•  An acetylene light was installed in the front range in 1915, and the range lights were decommissioned in 1932.