Harbour Town Light

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Harbour Town Lighthouse
Harbour Town July 2007.jpg
Harbour Town Lighthouse
Harbour Town Light
Location Hilton Head Island, South Carolina
Coordinates 32°08′19″N80°48′46″W / 32.13861°N 80.81278°W / 32.13861; -80.81278
Tower
Constructed1969
Foundation Concrete
Construction Stucco over metal lath and plywood
Height93 feet (28 m) [1]
ShapeOctagonal tower [1]
MarkingsRed and white bands
Light
First lit1970
Focal height28 m (92 ft)  OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
LensWhite
Characteristic Fl W 2.5s [2]

The Harbour Town Lighthouse is a lighthouse at the Harbour Town Marina at Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. It was privately built and is a private aid to navigation. [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] Although initially ridiculed by local residents during the planning and construction phases, the lighthouse became instantly popular and is today[ when? ] the most recognizable symbol of Hilton Head Island and Sea Pines Resort. The annually televised Heritage golf tournament has helped increase the lighthouse's fame to millions of golf fans worldwide[ example needed ], and the 18th hole at the Harbour Town Golf Links has become one of the most popular and recognizable finishing holes in golf.[ citation needed ]

Contents

History

Building of Harbour Town Lighthouse was started in 1969 by Charles Fraser and completed in 1970. [4] It is an octagonal column with a red observation deck or gallery below the lantern. The column is stucco on metal lath over plywood with a height of 93 feet (28 m). Its daymark is alternating red and white bands. It has a white light that flashes every 25 s. [2] [4] [7]

The lighthouse was privately built as part of Harbour Town Marina and Sea Pines Plantation. It is open for the public to climb. There is a small fee for a day pass to the Plantation and another small fee for admission to its lighthouse. [4] [5]

Current

The Harbour Town Lighthouse is now a tourist and wedding destination [8] for Hilton Head Island. The privately owned lighthouse also features a museum with historic photos of Harbour Town, and gift shops at the bottom and top of the light. [9]

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References

  1. 1 2 Sally Mahan, Meet the man behind Hilton Head's iconic lighthouse, Hilton Head Monthly, March 31, 2014, accessed October 18, 2023.
  2. 1 2 Light List, Volume III, Atlantic Coast, Little River, South Carolina to Econfina River, Florida (PDF). Light List. United States Coast Guard. 2007.
  3. Bansemer, Roger, Bansemer's Book of Carolina & Georgia Lighthouses, Pineapple Press, Sarasota, FL, 2000, pp. 94-95, ISBN   1-56164-194-4.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Clary, Margie Willis, The Beacons of South Carolina, Sandlapper Publishing Co., Inc., Orangeburg, SC, 2005, pp. 94-96, ISBN   0-87844-176-X.
  5. 1 2 "Harbour Town, SC". South Carolina Lighthouses. lighthousefriends.com. Retrieved 2008-08-10.
  6. Roberts, Bruce, and Jones, Ray, Southern Lighthouses: Outer Banks to Cape Florida, 3rd ed., Globe Pequot Press, Guildord, CT, 2002, pp. 46-47, ISBN   0-7627-1243-0.
  7. 1 2 Zepke, Terrance, Lighthouse of the Carolinas, Pineapple Press, Sarasota, FL, 2002, pp. 153-157, ISBN   1-56164-148-0.
  8. Archived October 13, 2013, at the Wayback Machine
  9. Archived October 13, 2013, at the Wayback Machine