Add to My Favourites Why Visit the Lighthouse in Hilton Head
While at Hilton Head, there are many activities for you to do and several significant places you should see, even if you are here for just a few days traveling briefly by car or air. These family-friendly attractions include the Harbour Town Lighthouse, the Arts Center of Coastal Carolina, the Coastal Discovery Museum, the Adventure Cove Family Fun Center, and one of Hilton Head Island’s numerous golf courses. At its foundation, Hilton Head is a seaside community blessed with stunning scenery. The top of the Harbour Town Lighthouse is the best place to take in Hilton Head’s natural splendor.
Making a list of the locations and activities you wish to do on your family trip is a great idea. A useful online publication on exciting things to do and see on Hilton Head Island is 101 Things To Do.
Hilton Head Lighthouse
The Sea Pines vacation rental neighborhood has the Harbour Town Lighthouse. The lighthouse is within a short distance from Greenwood Drive if you are staying in a Sea Pines rental home. As soon as you come across the 90-foot red and white tower on the harbor’s edge, you know you’ve located Hilton Head Lighthouse. The Harbour Town Lighthouse is a popular tourist spot but isn’t the only lighthouse in Hilton Head.
Why Visit the Lighthouses in Hilton Head
If you plan on visiting Hilton Head, here are some exciting details regarding the Harbour Town Lighthouse that you should be aware of if you plan on visiting.
Here are the top five factors why you should visit the Hilton Head Lighthouse:
Harbour Town Lighthouse
The Harbour Town Lighthouse was the first lighthouse constructed privately funded since the early 1800s and was finished in 1970. Since 1970, the lighthouse has been accessible to the general public. It is open every day of the week from 10 a.m. until dusk. Each individual must pay $5.75 to go to the lighthouse’s summit. The lighthouse has 114 stairs leading up to the summit. You may pause on the way up to examine many historical artifacts and pictures hanging on the walls.
Golf Ranges
The lighthouse directs players off the tee, rises 93 feet over the Calibogue Sound, and frames the 18th hole of the Harbour Town Golf Links. A $1 million Kodak Challenge event honoring “the magnificent holes and memorable experiences in golf,” #18’s backdrop is one of the game’s most stunning finishing holes.
Harbour Town Lighthouse Museum
What is regarded as the Harbour Town Lighthouse Museum is made up of these relics. A self-guided tour of the museum may be taken up the steps within the lighthouse. The Harbour Town Lighthouse Museum has a few artifacts, including Civil War-era photos. Along with several other objects, antiquities dating back to 3000 BC illustrate the long history of the Hilton Head.
As you reach the lighthouse’s pinnacle, you’ll be astounded by the expansive view of Hilton Head Island and its surrounding sea, marsh, fairway, and port. Following some time spent admiring the stunning scenery from the lighthouse’s balcony, you may visit the “Shop at the Top.” The most outstanding handmade crystal souvenirs available on Hilton Head Island can be found in this official gift store for the Harbour Town Lighthouse.
Leamington Lighthouse's Rich History
The Arthur Hills Golf Course is visible from the Leamington community of Palmetto Dunes Resort, where the Hilton Head Island Rear Range Lighthouse, also called the Leamington Lighthouse, is situated. As a part of a broader network of navigation lights directing ships to Port Royal Sound, it was constructed between 1879 and 1880.
Although Harbour Town’s fake lighthouse on Hilton Head Island’s southern tip is more well-known, the island’s only actual lighthouse is the Hilton Head Rear Range Light. The lighthouse has a unique role in Hilton Head Island’s history since it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and included in the Historic Light Stations Inventory. The Hilton Head Rear Range Lighthouse is the only historic lighthouse on Hilton Head Island and one of only a few remaining lighthouses in South Carolina.
Only the 92-foot building is still standing today, with a historic brick oil house and a water cistern beside one of Hilton Head Island’s oldest still-standing oak trees.
Congress approved spending $40,000 to build a front and back range lighthouse to direct ships into Port Royal Sound in the 1870s. The 92-foot-tall back range lighthouse is a cast-iron skeleton tower constructed roughly a mile inland on six concrete piers. The building’s light could be seen 15 kilometers away. It was turned on in 1880.
The lighthouse, which had a wooden facade at first, was turned off in 1932. However, during World War II, the building anchored Camp McDougal and functioned as a crucial observation tower for enemy ships.
In 1985, Palmetto Dunes’ parent business, Greenwood Communities and Resorts refurbished the landmark building and made the lighthouse grounds accessible to the general public.
Original Construction of Two Lighthouses
A lighthouse was first suggested in 1854, but it was rejected due to the exorbitant cost of the property. In the end, two lighthouses were constructed on Hilton Head Island in 1863. Unfortunately, in 1869, the backlight was destroyed by fire.
The installation of range lights was again advised only four years later, in 1874, and on July 31, 1876, Congress approved spending $40,000 to establish range lights on Hilton Head and Bay Point to direct ships into Port Royal Sound.
Contracts for the construction were ultimately made in 1877, with a completion date of June 1, 1879, after a protracted dispute over land rights. However, the deadline was extended to May 1, 1880, when the contractor for the front light—which would stand around 35 feet high when finished—and the residences for the front and back lights failed to begin the construction. The contract was then passed over to his bondsmen. Although the homes and lights were finished in June 1880, the Lighthouse Board opted to postpone their activation until August 1, 1881, when the range lights on neighboring Parris Island would be finished. A road 1 1/4 miles long was constructed in 1844 using a combination of earthmoving and plank walks connected the two lighthouses.
The back range lighthouse was initially built as a skeletal structure composed of five iron columns braced and connected by beams and tie-bars to create the shape of a regular hexagonal pyramid with a central cylinder containing the pyramid’s axis. The first set of columns is fastened to foundation discs 6 feet thick in concrete and rests on said base. A lantern and covered watch room are constructed on the top. The Hilton Head Rear Range Lighthouse underwent a significant repair in September 2019.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Can You Climb Hilton Head Lighthouse?
Yes, you can climb Hilton Head Lighthouse. The Harbour Town Yacht Basin is where the Lighthouse is situated. You’ll need to climb 114 steps to the top.
How Many Lighthouses are on Hilton Head Island?
There are two lighthouses on Hilton Head Island. Although Harbour Town’s fake lighthouse on Hilton Head Island’s southern tip is more well-known, the island’s only actual lighthouse is the Hilton Head Rear Range Light.
How Old is the Lighthouse on Hilton Head Island?
The lighthouse on Hilton Head Island is 53 years old. Charles Fraser began work on the Harbour Town Lighthouse in 1969 and was finished in 1970.
The top website for Hilton Head Island publications
People go to Hilton Head Island from around the US and even the globe to have a fantastic experience. The island does not let down, either! The finest online magazine in Hilton Head is 101 Things To Do, where you can learn about the abundance of available locations and activities!
Subscribe to 101 Things to Do!
Call (843) 682-3205 For More Information!
101 Things to Do
PO Box 23465 Hilton
Head Island, SC 29925
Office: (843) 682-3205
Add to My Favourites
