A History of South Carolina Lighthouses

Before radar, depth finders and satellite-guided navigation,
long before the seafloor was charted with scientific precision, mariners relied
on lighthouses to approach a coastline safely. South Carolina’s history with
lighthouses goes back nearly two and a half centuries. At Cape Romain, a
windmill was converted into a lighthouse. St. Philip’s Church in Charleston was
converted into a beacon for seafarers to aid navigation to the Holy City. With
such a long and storied past, the story of South Carolina’s lighthouses is
inseparable from its maritime history. Join author John Hairr as he recounts
the fascinating history of these beacons that have shone above the shores of
the Palmetto State.