#16 The Lighthouse

 May 10, 2023

Lighthouse - St Simons Island

James Gould came from Boston as a young man with the big dream of building a lighthouse.  He designed and drew up plans, and carried them around for years.  But life didn't make it easy, and he had many other pursuits before, in 1807, the government finally awarded him the contract to build the light. His budget for the tower, the keeper's cottage, a kitchen, an oil storage room, and a well, was $13,775.  It was to be built on the land that John Couper, of Cannon's Point Plantation, had donated for that purpose.  

Cannon's Point Plantation - Painted by John and Rebecca Couper's grandson

Though Eugenia Price never described the physical appearance of James Gould, the painting below, from the museum's website, is not at all how I pictured him.  Though I do see a bit of grit and determination in those eyes.

James Gould

James' plan for the first lighthouse was that it would be made almost entirely of tabby.  The tower would be octagonal in shape, with the base 25 feet in diameter, tapering up to 10 feet in diameter by the time it reached its 75 feet of height.  At the base, the walls would be a full 8 feet thick.  The source of light to guide the ships was a whale oil lantern, suspended in an iron lantern room atop the tower. 

Portrait of the Original Tabby Lighthouse on St Simons Island

President James Madison appointed James Gould to serve as lighthouse keeper in 1810 for a salary of $400 per year.  He served as keeper until 1837, when Lachlan McIntosh took the position.  The keeper was responsible for climbing up into the lantern room every night before dark to refill the lamps, and for keeping the wicks trimmed.  The sign below, from in the museum, indicates kerosene, so at some point they must have discontinued using whale oil. 

James died in 1852, at the age of 80, so was not living when the the north and south took up arms against one another. Fearing that the Union would use the lighthouse as a navigational aid, in September 1861, the Confederates blew up the lighthouse tower.

The current lighthouse was constructed in 1872 of Savannah grey brick.  Its base is 21 feet in diameter, tapering to 10 feet at the base of the lantern gallery.  The whole tower reaches 104 feet.  Below is a faded sign outside of the museum depicting the design.  Running up the interior of the tower is an 8 foot wide brick column that houses the spiral cast iron staircase.  This creates an inner and outer wall, with space between for the rotational weight system of the lens.  

This lighthouse is one of only five surviving lighthouses in Georgia, and is still in use today for navigation.  It's lantern casts light up to 23 miles out in the sea, guiding vessels into St Simons Sound.  Even the first lighthouse had a very complex lantern called a Fresnel Lens.  It is a very technical piece that I didn't try to understand.  In 1934 the light was converted from oil to electricity.  In the 1950s it was automated, so no longer required a keeper to live there.  

Below is a sepia photograph taken May 1871, showing the progress of the construction on the keeper's dwelling. 

Tower and Keepers Dwelling - St Simons Lighthouse

In the 1970s, with the keepers dwelling no longer in use, it was converted into a museum.  The lower floor is all informational displays of the original, as well as the current lighthouse.  The upstairs has been preserved as a keeper's home.  In actual use, one family would have lived upstairs, and one down.  There would have been a main keeper, as well as an assistant.  

Keepers Kitchen

Children's Bedroom

Keepers Parlor

Main Keepers Bedroom

That circular staircase has 129 steps that visitors are allowed to climb.  Along the way are several landings, and a few windows to look out while you catch your breath.

At the top one can pop out on the galley for a little walk around the top of the tower.  The breeze was fresh off the water, and the views lovely.

Those dark clouds over the sea brought neither rain or cooler temps, but made the sun less intense. 

St Simons Pier

Below the lighthouse, and stretching all the way to the pier was Neptune Park, with a huge pool and water feature, as well as a pirate playground and picnic tables under the towering live oaks. 

Coming down the steps, I exited the lighthouse and took a walk down to the pier.  It was breezy on the water, but on occasion I detoured to walk under the shady oak trees.

I usually enjoy walking out on piers and sitting at the end of them.  However, I discovered after walking out on this one, that it was really more for fishing than anything.  It had sinks along the way for cleaning fish.  

I enjoyed the walk there and back, and it gave me a chance to see the little town area near the pier, that reminded me much of our town of Seaside back home.