Cockspur Island Lighthouse

Chatham County · dedicated 2011 · At the visitor center, in Fort Pulaski National Park in Savannah.

Designed and built in 1848 by renowned architect John S. Norris to mark the entrance to the South Channel of the Savannah River, the Cockspur Island Lighthouse was destroyed by a hurricane in 1854. A larger replacement was built on the same foundation in 1855. During 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 two hurricanes in 1881 and 1893. By the late 1800s, shipping had moved to the North Channel of the Savannah River. The lighthouse was no longer needed and was deactivated in 1909. In 1958, the U.S. Coast Guard transferred the lighthouse to the National Park Service.

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This marker is part of the Georgia Historical Marker Program, administered by the Georgia Historical Society. Marker texts and locations come from the Society's own marker database.

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