By 1901 nothing had been done about moving the tower and the Board reported “the advisability of removing the station to a new site is being considered, or of building a permanent keeper’s dwelling in place of the present temporary buildings, repairing the present light tower and permitting it to remain in the old location. The point of land on which the tower stands has made out until the beach at the nearest point is 100 or more feet distant from the tower. As this movement is increasing, it may become necessary to move the structure of the station to a new site.” In 1903 the Board sought and obtained authority from Congress to use $7,000 of the $15,000 appropriated for moving the tower, to erect two keeper’s dwellings at the old site. These were completed in 1905.
The light remained in the old tower until 1919. In 1916 it was reported “The sea is again making inroads on the station and a project for its removal has been tentatively approved.” The new site was one-fourth mile north of the old tower on the peninsula and on land heretofore reserved for military purposes, which the President forthwith reserved for lighthouse purposes. The tower was moved to this site in 1919.
In 1923 the Black’s Island reservation was sold. There were no buildings on the island at the time.
The light is now in a white, square skeleton tower, enclosing a stair cylinder, with the lantern 96 feet above ground and 101 feet above water. The 800,000 candlepower 3½-order electric light flashes white every 20 seconds and is visible 16 miles. A radiobeacon was established at the station in 1939. [(1)] [(2)]
GEORGIA
TYBEE LIGHTHOUSE, TYBEE ISLAND, SAVANNAH RIVER
Tybee Light was under construction by the State of Georgia when that State became part of the Federal Union in 1788.
The lighthouse was believed to have been ceded to the Federal Government in December 1791, although no records to substantiate this are available.
In 1791 it appears that the tower was in commission under a keeper named Higgins and that spermaceti candles were being used in the lantern.
In 1838 the lighthouse was described as being “a fixed light, 15 lamps, 15-inch reflectors. Height of lantern above the sea, 100 feet. Height of tower from base to lantern, 95 feet.” The light was refitted with 16-inch reflectors in 1841.
In 1857 the light was renovated and fitted with a second-order lens. In 1862, during the Civil War, the interior of the tower and the lantern were destroyed by fire and the lens was removed. By 1865, the beacon had been relighted but not the main light.