Step Donors

Step One

Rob Turkewitz

Step Two

Barry & Cheryl McLaurin

Step Three

Teri & Robert New

Step Four

Harry & Reba Huge

Step Five

John & Betty Johnson O’Brien

Step Six

Chris O’Brien

Step Seven

In honor of Carmen, Danielle & Ashley Campbell
by John & Betty Johnson O’Brien

Step Eight

In memory of William Paul & Florence Lynch Johnson
by John & Betty Johnson O’Brien

Step Nine

In memory of James Augustus (Gus) & Bessie Diora Strange Johnson
by John & Betty Johnson O’Brien

Step Ten

In memory of Creed Fulton & Martha Pamela Praytor Johnson
by John & Betty Johnson O’Brien

Step Eleven

In memory of Dr. Josiah & Nancy Caroline Byers Johnson
by John & Betty Johnson O’Brien

Step Twelve

In memory of Capt. Hugh & Sarah Lane Bradley Johnson
by John & Betty Johnson O’Brien

Step Thirteen

In memory of James & Ann Cole Johnson
by John & Betty Johnson O’Brien

Step Fourteen

In memory of John Patrick O’Brien, Sr. & Lenora Rawl (O’Brien)
by John & Betty Johnson O’Brien

Step Fifteen

In memory of Edward Joseph O’Brien, Sr. & Mary Sommers O’Brien
by John & Betty Johnson O’Brien

Step Sixteen

In Memory of Daniel O’Brien & Bridget McKenna O’Brien
by John & Betty Johnson O’Brien

Step Seventeen

In memory of Franto Mollycheck II
Lighthouse Keeper, 27 Years Service
DOB: 10/17/02 – DOD: 9/4/52
by Debbi Mollycheck

Step Eighteen

In memory of Lilla Hilton Mollycheck
Keeper’s Wife
DOB: 5/9/09 – DOD: 7/26/98
by Debbi Mollycheck

Step Nineteen

The National Society of the Children of the American Revolution
Emily Falkenstein, President, 2009

Step Twenty

The Schady Grandchildren

Step Twenty-One

Jon & Lisa Weitz

Step Twenty-Two

Jack & Carol Corgan with Gratitude from Save The Light, Inc.

Step Twenty-Three

In Honor of Bill & Nancy Younger
by John & Betty Johnson O’Brien

Step Twenty-Four

Betty & John O’Brien

Step Twenty-Five

In Memory of Ashley Monique Campbell

Step Twenty-Six

Betty & John O’Brien

Step Twenty-Seven

(Reserved for Betty & John O’Brien)

Step Twenty-Eight

Anne Tierney and Ken Douglas Tidwell and Family

 

Step Twenty-Nine

In Loving Memory of Michael Francis Pawlowski
August 4, 1982 – July 4, 2012

Step Thirty

Harry Huge

Step Thirty-One

In honor of “Big Johnny Ohlandt”
Given by the Hewitt Family

Step Thirty-Two

In Honor of Al Hitchcock
Given by Betty & John O’Brien

Step Thirty-Three

Kate & Tim Kiel

Step Thirty-Four

Jack Wilson

Step Thirty-Six

In loving memory of my wife, Nancy Laye Hitchcock, who will always be in my heart from Al

Step Thirty-Seven

In memory of Nancy Laye Hitchcock from Gerald and Wanda Edwards

Step Fifty-Seven

Christian Brutzer & Regina Anderson

Step Sixty

In honor of Warren William Ariail
by A. Bright Ariail

Step Seventy-Three

In honor of Clyde Milton Ariail
by A. Bright Ariail

Step Seventy-Four

In Honor of Dr. Stephen Craig Thomas & Danielle Maria Campbell Thomas
by John & Betty O’Brien

Step Seventy-Seven

In Loving Memory of Clyde Milton Ariail
&
In Honor of Dorothy Ellen Royall Ariail
with love from Bright, Warren, Milt & Amhara

Step Seventy-Nine

The Walle Family

Step Eighty-Five

Kate & Tim Kiel

Step Ninety

For Stephanie White & Noah Hammond
With Love Forever, Nana Nancy Inman

Step Ninety-Nine

Paula O. & Jessie D. Hinton

Step One Hundred

In Honor of Fred & Joyce Wichmann
by John & Betty O’Brien

Step One Hundred Two

John P. “Cappy” Wilson
“Half-way there!”

Step One Hundred Eighteen

Janet Cribb and Paul Maciag
November 8, 2003

Step One Hundred Ninety-Six

Sammie Cole Leaning-Ears
and those who walk awhile…

Step One Hundred Ninety-Seven

Jenny Welch

Step One Hundred Ninety-Eight

Robin Elise Welch

Step One Hundred Ninety-Nine

Julia Anna Welch

Step Two Hundred

Wendy Welch

Step Two Hundred One

Rod & Anne Welch

Step Two Hundred Two

Robert Ellis Welch

Step Two Hundred Three

Thomas Cooper Welch

Here you can find some conceptualizations for Phase I of the preservation of the Morris Island Lighthouse. Plans were provided by the Hayward-Baker Company.

Changes to the original Phase I plans needed to be made before the actual construction. For photos of the Phase I preservation construction, see the photo gallery below.

The base of the lighthouse will be surrounded by a cofferdam composed of circular sheet piles. This drawing is view looking down from above the lighthouse.

The base of the lighthouse will be surrounded by a cofferdam composed of circular sheet piles. This drawing is view looking down from above the lighthouse.

Grout will be injected beneath the lighthouse to stabilize the foundation. The view is looking down from above into the lighthouse's foundation.
This drawing shows section B-B through the drawing above. The view is looking across the base of the lighthouse.
Phase I - In May 2007, work began on the first phase of the lighthouse stabilization. The contractor, Taylor Brothers Marine Construction, from Beaufort, NC, drove the sheet piles that formed a cofferdam around the base of the lighthouse. The contractor worked all through the fall and winter to complete the work. His jack-up-barge can be seen from a great distance while it sits next to the lighthouse to drive the piles. All types of monitoring devices were installed inside and outside the lighthouse to help monitor the conditions as the piles were vibrated down into the sand. A local company, WPC, provided this part of the monitoring for the contractor. The devices monitored cracks for potential growth, possible lean, and general vibration during daily work. All of the windows in the lighthouse have no glass and the birds love to stay inside and even raise their young if not disturbed. The Phase I effort was completed in March of 2008, with a cost of just over $3 million.

Aerial photos were taken by Mr. Larry Workman.

You can view some conceptualizations for Phase II of the preservation of the Morris Island Lighthouse. Plans were provided by the contractor, Palmetto Gunite.

Page 1 shows the layout for the new micro-piles that were installed around the perimeter of the lighthouse foundation. There were a total of 68 micro-piles installed at 75 tons each capacity.

Page 2 shows the actual location of the micro-piles and how they were spaced around the foundation. All of the work was inside of the cofferdam installed in 2008.

Page 3 shows an elevation view of the new piles in relation to the original piles. The new piles were installed into the marl layer under the lighthouse. The area between the cofferdam and the foundation was filled with sand and capped with stone.

For photos of the preservation construction, see the photo gallery below.

March 1, 2010, we awarded our Phase II contract to Palmetto Gunite Construction Company, Ravenel, SC, for just under $2 million. This was a design/build contract to install new concrete piles under the foundation. This contract also filled the inside of the Phase I cofferdam with sand to help stabilize the foundation. The installation of 68 new micro-piles rated at 75 tons each was completed a month ahead of schedule. The jack-up barge pulled away on July 31, 2010.

This work will surely stabilize the tower so that we can continue to restore and preserve it in subsequent phases.

We survived Hurricane Irene. The Army Corps of Engineers requires periodic inspections.

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