Lighthouse History

Once neglected and at risk, the Morris Island Lighthouse was rescued through a grassroots effort beginning in 1996. Save The Light, Inc. united the community, secured funding, and transferred the lighthouse to state ownership in 2000, ensuring its preservation for future generations. Key milestones are outlined below.

1965

Private Ownership

The GSA sells the Morris Island Lighthouse at auction to a private citizen planning to incorporate it into a camping ground.

1966

Lighthouse is Purchased

A real estate entrepreneur buys the lighthouse, intending to use it in a future development project.

1996

Grassroots Effort Begins

A Columbia businessman acquires the lighthouse through foreclosure. The lighthouse continues to deteriorate while in private hands.

James Island resident Barbara Schoch and Johnny Ohlandt, a local conservationist, begin organizing efforts to save the lighthouse.

Several citizen groups form the Morris Island Lighthouse Committee, proposing Charleston County Parks and Recreation Commission (PRC) purchase the lighthouse.

1998

Formation of Save The Light, Inc.

November: The Morris Island Lighthouse Committee incorporates as Save The Light, Inc.

1999

Save The Light Purchases the Lighthouse

February: Save The Light, Inc. purchases the lighthouse for $75,000 with financial guarantees from artist Jim Booth and businessman Robert New.

Save The Light begins working towards transferring ownership of the lighthouse to the State of South Carolina via the Heritage Trust program.

2000

Recognition and Transfer to
the State

February: The Heritage Trust Program Board recognizes the Morris Island Lighthouse as one of South Carolina’s top 100 cultural sites and recommends acquisition by the SC Department of Natural Resources (DNR).

April 21: The SC DNR Board unanimously votes to accept the title of the Morris Island Lighthouse.

December: The title transfer to the State of South Carolina is finalized. Save The Light signs a 99-year lease for the lighthouse.

Post 2000

Ongoing Preservation Efforts

Save The Light collaborates with the Army Corps of Engineers on stabilization, erosion control, and long-term preservation efforts.

The organization continues to raise funds and oversee maintenance and preservation of the lighthouse.

Video Intro to the Morris Island Lighthouse and Save the Light

This is a short video to introduce you to our organization including some quick information about the Morris Island Lighthouse. Look around our site. We have lots of great information for you to look at.

The video was produced by Production Design Associates.

The Lighthouse Keepers

Below is the beginning of a list of lighthouse keepers who served at the Morris Island Lighthouse. This list is being reconstructed by Lighthouse Service payroll records, family histories and other historic records. The Lighthouse Service records after 1908 were destroyed by water damage from fighting a fire at the National Archives, thus limiting our resources for 1908 – 1938.

If you have information to add, we’d be happy to speak with you.

Each lightkeeper is listed with his years of service.

BSt. Lo Mellichamp 1700s
St. Lo Mellichamp II 1830 – 1850
George Wood 1850 – 1857
William A. Mellichamp 1857
William A. Harm 1870
James Skillins 1870 – 1873
Charles Player 1875 – 1876
James Masindun 1873 – 1874
William Player 1874 – 1875
Jimmy Conklin 1875 – 1876
Henry Conklin 1876
Gustavis Thompson 1878 – 1881
John Wieking 1885 – 1908
Martin Leary 1878 – 1881
John Ames 1877 – 1881, 1882 – 1883
John Hagan 1877 – 1880
Peter Collins 1880 – 1881
John Wragg 1881
Phillip Pepper 1881
John Howard 1881 – 1883
James Young 1882 – 1883
Angus Bennett 1883 – 1903
Thomas Jones 1883 – 1884
Thomas O’Hagan 1883 – 1887
Ernest Ferrell 1884
More Wilkinson 1884 – 1886
Richard Stonebridge 1884, 1887 – 1891
Edward Burns 1887 – 1891
Halvor Svendsen 1891 – 1896
Matthew Slavich 1892 – 1894
Carl Svendson 1903 – 1908
Victor Thelning 1901 – 1902
Jessie Swan 1902 – 1904
Martin Rowell 1903 – 1906
Maniard ____t 1906 – 1907
Ludwig Jacobson 1906 – 1908
Carl Sisson 1907 – 1908
Lewis Bringloe 1908
George Jackson 1910s
George Shierlock 1917 – ??
Edward T. Hewitt 1920s
William Hecker 1925 – 1938
W. A. Davis 1920s & 1930s
Edward L. Meyer 1933 – 1935