Hilton Head Island South Carolina
Just when I thought I knew of all the historic gems across the island of Hilton Head I stumbled upon this beautifully restored lighthouse in Leamington on the golf course.
It is a cast-iron skeleton tower on six concrete piers, ninety- five feet tall, with a central stair tower and spiral staircase. It was first lit in 1880 and could be seen from 15 miles away.
The lighthouse, cistern and oil house remain at the site were refurbished in 1985. If you are visiting Hilton Head Island and would like to visit what is now known as the Leamington Lighthouse, you can get to it from Palmetto Dunes golf and beach resort. There are not any directional signs but the gate guard was helpful with directions.
In 1937, the Lighthouse became the site of Camp McDougal, used for training by the Southeastern Shore Patrol. It is one mile inland from the Atlantic Ocean, and during a direct hit hurricane in 1893 water around the lighthouse was reported to be three feet high.
The information flyer provided to visitors at the site tells the legend of the Lighthouse keeper, Adam Fripp and his daughter Caroline who worked through the night of the storn to keep the lanterns burning. He died the next day and Caroline died a few weeks later from exhaustion and the loss of her father. Local legend refers to her as the “Blue Lady”, believing she still haunts the Lighthouse wearing the blue dress from that stormy night.
I hope you enjoyed my short walk, we’re still dealing with temperatures in the high 90’s everyday. 
And with that being said I’ll just stick with Ben & Jerry’s to cool off and pass on cake
For more walks and beautiful scenery visit:
It’s meltdown time of year, Alice? Such a beautiful construction, isn’t it? So delicate- I love it! Thanks for sharing 🙂 🙂
Very interesting – the lighthouse looks very slim. It doesn’t look as if the keeper could live in it.