~ welcome ~

Dear Visitor,

Hello, welcome to Save the Light, Inc.
Save the Light is a grass roots non-profit organization that was formed to save the Morris Island Lighthouse from being lost to the sea. We bought the lighthouse from the previous owner in 1999, turned around and gave it to the State of South Carolina at the end of 2000 after working out a lease agreement by which Save the Light would transfer ownership to the state of South Carolina at no cost. Now all the citizens of the great state of South Carolina own it. Save the Light retains all responsibility for planning, engineering, fund raising and execution of all aspects of the preservation of the Morris Island Lighthouse.

The project has moved along very nicely since 2000 once we became organized and established our goals. We immediately began working with the US Army Corps of Engineers and a private engineering consultant to have the structure evaluated and the phases of restoration planned. After eight years of operation, we have raised over $4,500,000 in federal, state, and local funds. Work on Phase I, involving the construction of a steel cofferdam around the base and large stones placed around the outside perimeter to prevent further erosion was completed in March of 2008. We are in the process of finalizing the scope and engineering for Phase II whereby we will jet grout the area under the Lighthouse to fill any voids that might exist between the base of the lighthouse and the piling foundation, as well as fill the cofferdam and cap it with concrete. We are in the midst of a capital fund raising campaign to be able to construct phase II and it looks very promising that work can begin by year's end. We expect this phase of construction will cost around one and a half million dollars and take up to a year to complete.

We are very excited about getting the Phase I behind us. We have moved from being a good idea to being a project in progress. It is no longer a matter of IF but WHEN we will complete our job of preserving this, the most beloved symbol of South Carolina's maritime heritage. We hope that you find the website enjoyable and informative and we hope that you will join us in our effort to save this irreplaceable part of our state and nation's history. There is a lot of work yet to be done and there are a lot of ways that you can help. Please start by becoming a member, renewing your membership,or making a capital campaign donation.

Thank you for your interest and don't forget to check out our live streaming video of the Lighthouse where you can actually see the waves splashing against the cofferdam. You are always welcome to stop by our new Folly Beach location at 81 Center Street for more information, and while you are in Folly Beach, thank Avocet Realty for donating this wonderful office space to Save the Light!


Al Hitchcock, Chairman

Silent Auction and Gala

2009    The 11th annual Save the Light Silent Auction and Gala will be Thursday, April 30, 2009 from 6:30 - 9:30 PM at the Folly Beach Holiday Inn, 1 Center Street, Folly Beach, SC. The Inn is newly remodeled and ours is one of the first events to be held there. The space has been generously donated by the hotel for this event.
We are expecting a large crowd and this facility has the room to handle us. The upstairs area will be all ours for this event and the Inn is excited to show off the newly renovated facility. The views are fantastic and the lobby area now greets you with a full vista of the ocean and the surf.
Tickets are only $50.00 per person. Food and wine are included and a cash bar will be available. For tickets, or to donate an item to be included in the auction contact any Board member or call our office (843) 633-0099.
This is always a great event and we hope to see you there!
Please join us at the Silent Auction April 30th.

Many Thanks to Whirlybird Solutions

Half Marathon & 5K Run

2009   The Half-Marathon and 5K to support the preservation of the Morris Island Lighthouse by Save the Light was a huge success! Over 700 runners registered for the event held at Folly Beach Saturday, February 7, 2009.

We thank Action Carolina's Michael DeRosiers and Howie Schomer for their excellent handling of this event, the City of Folly Beach for their professional help and participation,the Crab Shack for hosting the Awards Ceremony, Piggly Wiggly for providing the fruit and water,CCPRC for providing the generous use of the pier for the morning,and John Davis for providing parking. Thanks too, to the volunteers who helped staff the event - College of Charleson Masters of Environmental Studies Graduate Students (30 of them who staffed the course), Michelle Chavez (water stop captain), and for "Save The Light" - John and Burton Davy, Joyce Wichmann, Troy LeBoeuf, Richard Beck, Dave Stormer, and Sue and Bill Lundstrom.

To see some photos of the race, go to 2009 Photos.

For race results, go to 2009 Save the Light Half Marathon & 5K.

2010   Start planning now! Let's do it again in 2010 - same time, same place. More information will be posted on this page as it becomes available.

If you have ideas, comments, suggestions for us to make it even better next year, please contact us at info@savethelight.org

Jim Booth Offers Lighthouse Print to Support Save the Light

Carolina Legacy

Save The Light is pleased to offer Jim Booth's print, "Carolina Legacy". This work of art is an homage to the importance of the Morris Island Lighthouse to South Carolina and Charleston, and was created to help support Save The Light's goal to protect and preserve this irreplaceable historical landmark. More information about this print and Jim's generous offer can be found on our membership page.

To see more Jim Booth prints, access the Jim Booth website.

The Save the Light Brochure is Available Online

Save the Light Brochure

You can view the current Save the Light Brochure online to learn more about our campaign to save the Morris Island Lighthouse.
Download PDF version (requires Acrobat Reader)

Become a Member