Georgia's Lighthouses

Book excerpt: When British general James Oglethorpe landed on Georgia's coast in 1733, he realized that the success of his new colony, Savannah, depended largely on its establishment and development as a commercial port. Only three years later, in 1736, the first lighthouse was built on Tybee Island. Beginning there at the mouth of the Savannah River, this volume travels down the coast, telling the very different stories of the Cockspur Light, Sapelo Light, St. Simons Light, and Cumberland Light, which is now located on a private island. Rich in history, these lighthouses help to define the story of Georgia's 100-mile coastline. Of the lighthouses built, only five remain today; two are operational lights--Tybee Island and St. Simons Island.