Charleston Light, also known as Sullivan's Island Lighthouse, is located on

Sullivan's Island, South Carolina Sullivan's Island is a town and island in Charleston County, South Carolina, Charleston County, South Carolina, United States, at the entrance to Charleston Harbor, with a population of 1,791 at the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census. The town ...

, which is the northern entrance to

Charleston Harbor The Charleston Harbor is an inlet (8 sq mi/20.7 km²) of the Atlantic Ocean at Charleston, South Carolina. The inlet is formed by the junction of Ashley and Cooper rivers at . Morris and Sullivan's Islands shelter the entrance. Charleston H ...

. The lighthouse was erected to replace the defunct

Morris Island Light Morris Island Light is a lighthouse on Morris Island in South Carolina. The light stands on the southern side of the entrance to Charleston Harbor, north of the City of Folly Beach. At 161 ft (49 m), it is the tallest lighthouse in South Car ...

Morris Island Morris Island is an 840-acre (3.4 km²) uninhabited island in Charleston Harbor in South Carolina, accessible only by boat. The island lies in the outer reaches of the harbor and was thus a strategic location in the American Civil War. The ...

, which was at risk of being destroyed by erosion, but remains standing and was stabilized in 2010. Construction was started in 1960, and it was first lit on June 15, 1962. Charleston Light has a steel frame, an aluminum alloy skin, and a triangular cross section. It is tall. Its slim, triangular structure was built to withstand winds of 125 miles per hour, and the focal plane of the light is above mean sea level. Originally, it was painted white and red-orange, but was later repainted white and black after citizens complained about the distracting color of the upper half. It is the only U.S. lighthouse with an elevator and air conditioning, and was the last onshore manned lighthouse to be built by the Federal Government. The Texas Tower Offshore Lighthouses were the last offshore manned lighthouses and, were built later starting in 1961 with Buzzards Bay Entrance Light. It has a DCB 24 light. It originally had 28 million candelas (candlepower) and was the second most powerful in the Western Hemisphere. As the light was actually too dazzling, the power was lowered to 1.2 million candelas and could still be seen over . Its characteristic is two 0.2 s flashes separated by 4.8 s every 30 s. The light was automated in 1975. It is a non-contributing resource located in the

U.S. Coast Guard Historic District U.S. Coast Guard Historic District is a national historic district located at Sullivan's Island, Charleston County, South Carolina. The district encompasses three contributing buildings and one contributing structure on Sullivan's Island. The p ...

. Now part of

Fort Sumter and Fort Moultrie National Historical Park Fort Sumter and Fort Moultrie National Historical Park is a United States National Historical Park located in Charleston County, in coastal South Carolina. It mainly protects Fort Sumter, Fort Moultrie, the Charleston Light and Liberty Square, ...

. Although it was donated by the Coast Guard to the National Park System in 2007, the Coast Guard continues to maintain the light of the lighthouse, while the National Park System protects its historical significance and overall physical upkeep. Although this lighthouse is still a working light, many problems within its structure keeps it from being open to the public. Currently it is fenced off from civilians, but visitors are able to explore the surrounding grounds, as well as the adjacent public beach access, in order to view the lighthouse.

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References

External links

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Lighthousefriends - Charleston Light page
{{authority control Lighthouses in South Carolina Buildings and structures in Charleston County, South Carolina Lighthouses completed in 1962