Members of the Georgia Historical Society joined Friends of Cockspur Island Lighthouse to fund and replace a historical marker. It was destroyed more than two years ago after a tornado hit the area.
The marker celebrates the centuries-old lighthouse. It survived several storms and a 30-hour bombing during the civil war.
The marker says the following:
“Designed and built in 1848 by noted New York architect, John Norris, also the architect for the U. S. Customs House, the Green-Meldrim House and the Mercer-Wilder House in Savannah, the Cockspur Island Lighthouse was destroyed by a hurricane in 1854, but rebuilt and enlarged the next year.
At the start of the American Civil War, the light was temporarily extinguished. The lighthouse survived the 30 hour Union bombardment of Confederate held Fort Pulaski in 1862 and also two hurricanes in 1881 and 1893.
When shipping lanes shifted in 1909, the light was again extinguished. In 1958, the US Coast Guard transferred control of the Cockspur Island Lighthouse to the National Park Service.”
Preservationists say the marker is important because the lighthouse is hard to travel to. They need more funds to complete their efforts. If you’d like to help, click here.