History
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Original lighthouse. |
The St. Simons Island Light
is a lighthouse on the southern tip of St. Simons Island, Georgia.
It guides ships into St.
Simons Sound and warns them of the many sandbars in the area. This lighthouse
is still used today.
The original lighthouse was
built in 1810 and was 75 feet tall. It was octagonal in shape and was topped off
by a 10-foot oil-burning lamp.
During the American Civil War
this lighthouse was destroyed. During a battle Union troops drove back the Confederates.
The confederates then destroyed this lighthouse so the Union troops that took
over the area could not use it to guide their warships.
In 1872, the U.S. government
constructed a new lighthouse just west of the original location. This new
lighthouse is 104 feet tall, made of brick and has a 3rd order
biconvex lens. This lens is one of 70 that are still in use today in the U.S.
The Duel
The St. Simons Island Light
is haunted by a light-keeper. One of its keepers Frederick Osborne is
believed to be this ghost.
In March of 1880 Osborne was
killed in a duel.
The reason for this duel is
uncertain. One version states that Osborne made an inappropriate comment to his
assistant light-keepers wife. This man, John Stephens then challenged him to a
duel.
In another version it is
stated that it was Stephens who made unwanted advances to Osborne’s wife.
Regardless, the two men stood
98 feet apart--Osborne held a pistol and Stephens held a shotgun loaded with
buckshot. Stephen hit his mark. Osborne was fatally wounded.
Stephen was later acquitted
of any charges but this did not end it for him.
Osborne’s Ghost
Stephens took over as
light-keeper and he often reported hearing the sounds of footsteps ascending
and descending the steps that lead to the top of the lighthouse.
Till his death he firmly
believed this was Osborne’s ghost.
In later years another
lighthouse keeper by the name of Svendsen claimed that Osborne’s ghost
constantly harassed his dog, Jinx.
Multi-witnesses have claimed
to hear footsteps on the tower’s staircase.
The U.S. Coast Guard took
over the running of the lighthouse in 1939. Guardsmen at this time reported
hearing the sound of footsteps while they did routine maintenance on the light.
Many believe Osborne still
lingers because he wants to make sure the light is properly cared for.
In the early 1970s the
Coastal Georgia Historical Society spent three years restoring the 2-story
Victorian light-keepers cottage--in 1984 this building became a museum. Tourists for a small fee can now climb the 129 steps to the top of the
lighthouse.
The view of St. Simons Sound
and the surrounding area is spectacular.
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Lighthouse today. |
In 2010, the lighthouse tower
was fully restored--great pains where taken to protect the rare biconvex lens.
An Investigation
In 2013, a paranormal group
called LDL captured an interesting video of the lighthouse. They use a P- SB7
Spirit Box to communicate with the ghosts. Information about this box is in another post here.
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Photograph by Lawrence G. Miller |
This ghost is Lisa
Register. She is believed to have committed suicide by jumping off the top of the lighthouse in 1999.
Here is a link to this video on YouTube.
In Part l, I share
another ghost story connected to St. Simons Island entitled, Light in the Graveyard.