St. Simon's Island Lighthouse

History of the St. Simon's Island Lighthouse

The lighthouse at St. Simon's Island is actually the second. The first was completed in 1810 and stood 75 feet tall. It was lit with oil lamps suspended on iron chains in the lantern. The U.S. Government ordered a second lighthouse to be constructed. This lighthouse was designed by one of Georgia's most noted architect, Charles Cluskey. The tower was to be 104 feet tall, 129 steps to the top, and house a third-order Fresnel lens. He died in 1871 of malaria before he ever finished the project.

Another mystery of this lighthouse is that it is supposedly haunted. The keeper and assistant shared the quarters. The keeper lived downstairs, and the assistant upstairs. The story says that one Sunday morning in March of 1880, the keeper and assistant got into an argument that left the keeper, Frederick Osbourne, dead. Rumor has it that some later keeper's wives have heard footsteps in the tower.

Directions: From I-95, take State Route 25 (Alt 95) south east towards the ocean. This will end at US-17 / State Route 25. Follow this south to the FJ Torras Causeway. Take the causeway to St. Simons Island. At the end of the causeway, bear right onto King's Way. King's Way will change into Ocean Blvd. Take Ocean Blvd to 12th Street. At the end of 12th Street will be the lighthouse.

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