Lighthouses of Georgia

By Elinor DeWire

Georgia has seven lighthouses still standing on its approximately 100 miles of coastline. This handy eBook is perfect for travel, written by America's best-known author of lighthouse books--Elinor DeWire. Locate each lighthouse, discover a little history, trivia and lore, great photos—old and new—and then go visit the lighthouses...or at least get close enough to snap your own photos. Armchair travelers will enjoy this guide too. It's chocked full of good information. Each lighthouse is profiled in story and pictures, with additional information on how to find the lighthouse. Some of Georgia’s lighthouses are open to the public. Two are museums open year-round. Several stand in parks and recreational areas. A final chapter in the back of the book discusses lighthouses in general. At the end of the book, is information about national lighthouse societies and preservation groups. There's also a list of other books by the author--well known in this genre--and other materials that might further the study and enjoyment of lighthouses.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Elinor DeWire
• Release date: Feb 7, 2017
• ISBN: 9781370561650

Elinor DeWire

Elinor DeWire writes about a variety of topics, including lighthouses, maritime history, weather, astronomy and sky watching, and animals. She is a native of Maryland, but spent her teenage years in Pennsylvania and has lived in several other states. She has been researching, photographing, and writing since 1972. DeWire has been honored for her work in journalism, education, and historic preservation by the U.S. Lighthouse Society, the American Association of University Women, the American Lighthouse Foundation, New England Lighthouse Lovers, the Avery Point Lighthouse Society, the Florida Lighthouse Association, the New Jersey Lighthouse Society, and the National League of American Pen Women. Three of her books have won the Coast Guard Book Award and the prestigious Ben Franklin Book Award. She lives in Washington.

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Itty-Bitty-Kitty Guide

to the

Lighthouses of Georgia

Elinor DeWire

Text copyright © 2014 Elinor DeWire

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All rights reserved: No part of this e-book may be re-sold, given away to other people, or reproduced without written permission from the publisher and author, except by a reviewer, special promotion, or distributor who may quote brief passages. Nor may any part of this book be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopied, recorded, or other) without written permission from the publisher and author. Itty-Bitty-Kitty Guide is branded and trademarked by Cat in the Window Press.

The information in this book is true and complete to best of the author’s knowledge. All information and recommendations are made without guarantee on the part of the author and Cat in the Window Press. The author and publisher disclaim any liability in connection with the use of this information.

Picture credits: All images, where not otherwise noted in the text, are from Wikimedia Commons, the U.S. Coast Guard, the U.S. Lighthouse Society, and the author’s personal collection.

Dedicated to Cullen Chambers (1950-2014), my friend, colleague in the lighthouse community, dedicated educator and preservationist, and the director of the Tybee Island Lighthouse for more than twenty years. This book also fondly remembers Paul M. Bradley (1923-2013)—architect, artist, friend, and a man who loved lighthouses. His wonderful sketches have appeared in many of my articles and books, including this one.

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Website: www.ElinorDeWire.com

Blog: www.elinordewire.blogspot.com

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Twitter: @ElinorDeWire

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Let’s Get Started!

So, you want to find some lighthouses in Georgia and learn a am itty-bit about them? Itty-Bitty-Kitty will show you the way!

Use this handy Itty-Bitty-Kitty Guide to locate each one, discover a little history and a little trivia and lore, see some photos—old ones and new ones—and then go visit the lighthouses…or at least get close enough to snap your own photos.

Everyone loves lighthouses! They’re historic buildings, they have a benevolent mission to save lives and property, they’re painted in pretty patterns (called daymarks), and they remind us of fun vacations at the beach. They have great stories to tell too!

Georgia has seven lighthouses still standing on its approximately 100 miles of coastline. (If you count all the twists and turns and nooks and crannies in the Georgia coast, its length adds up to 2,344 miles.) Some of Georgia’s lighthouses are traditional—they’re tall, tapered towers with wonderful spiral stairways inside and lantern rooms on top. Others have less familiar designs and look like big metal skeletons or funny wooden boxes.

It’s important to know that the size, shape, color, and overall design of a lighthouse reflects its mission. Tall, stately towers are suitable for low, flat beaches, since their height allows their beacons to reach far over the water, perhaps 25 miles or more, so ships at sea can find them. Short towers mark harbors and inlets and the mouths of rivers; their beacons only need to shine a few miles at most. And then, some lighthouses don’t look like lighthouses at all, at least not in the traditional sense. Georgia has a few nontraditional lighthouses. You must decide which ones are worth finding, photographing, and learning more about. Read on, and Itty-Bitty Kitty with help you!

This guide travels to Georgia’s seven remaining lighthouses from south to north. Each lighthouse is profiled with a little history, some human interest, a few fascinating facts and a bit of fun trivia, pictures, and information on how to find the lighthouse. Some of Georgia’s lighthouses are open to the public. Two are museums open year-round. Several stand in parks and recreational areas. Unfortunately, there is no state society or nonprofit group at this time devoted to preserving all of Georgia’s lighthouses and educating the public about them. Perhaps you’d like to start one!

A final chapter, is placed in the back of this book for readers who may wish to learn more about lighthouses in general. It’s an Itty-Bitty History of Lighthouses. Read it first if you want a little background before heading out to find Georgia’s lighthouses.

At the end of this book, Itty-Bitty-Kitty has added information about national lighthouse societies and preservation groups. You’ll find a list of other books by the author and other materials that might further your study and enjoyment of lighthouses.

Elinor DeWire has been researching, photographing, and writing and lecturing about lighthouses since 1972. She has authored many articles and books, including sixteen books on lighthouses. Her work has earned her several awards, including the Ben Franklin Book Award and the Coast Guard Book Award. She lives in Connecticut where she writes from a desk that overlooks a wetland forest and is the napping place of many cats—one itty-bitty-kitty in particular.

This Itty-Bitty-Kitty Guide is the first in a series of branded eBooks published by Cat in the Window Press. The guides are designed for quick, easy, and convenient access to information using an e-reader or tablet. This particular guide is perfect for travelers, as the book can be downloaded and stored, then opened for use on the road to find the lighthouses. Look for more Itty-Bitty-Kitty Guides to lighthouses and landmarks in other states!

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 — Little Cumberland Island Lighthouse

Chapter 2 — St. Simons Island Lighthouse

Chapter 3 — Sapelo Island’s Two Lighthouses

Chapter 4 — Tybee Island Lighthouse

Chapter 5 — Cockspur Island Lighthouse

Chapter 6 — Savannah Harbor Light

Chapter 7 — Itty-Bitty History of Lighthouses

Chapter 1

Little Cumberland Island Lighthouse

Itty-Bitty History

Cumberland Island, some 17 miles long, is one of Georgia’s clement