Believe it or not, this tower was built on a beach, Folly Beach. Granted, when the first light at this location was being built in 1767, it was not called Folly Beach. It was built on one of three smaller islands, now called Morris Island. The whole end of the beach has completely eroded leaving the tower in the water.
Many believe this tower has survived due to the copper base plate that the original tower was built on back in 1767.
The tower in the picture at the right was ordered to be built in 1873, construction started in 1874 and was rumored to be finished in 1876. It is 150' tall, and housed a revolving first-order Fresnel lens.
Some of the elements that this tower has endured are a hurricane in 1885 and a powerful earthquake in 1886. It's no wonder that not even erosion can claim this tower.
In the late 1800s, this lightstation had 15 buildings, including three keeper's quarters and a school house (1 room). There were a bunch of boardwalks built to link the buildings, and even an automobile was once on the island in the 1900s. The light was automated in 1938...the families left the island at that time.
Note: The lighthouse is not leaning to the right as this picture would lead you to believe. I didn't have the camera straight when I took this photograph.
Here are some great photos from the Coast Guard Archives:
Lighthouse when beach was still there - 1876
Lighthouse circa 1914.
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Directions: The lighthouse sits off shore. Take state route 171 into Folly Beach. Once in Folly Beach, take East Ashley Drive to the end. At the end, you can park your car along the road, and walk the half mile out to the beach. From the beach, with a telephoto lens, you can get a pretty good picture of the lighthouse.
To rate this lighthouse, click on a number below: 
Lighthouse Rating: 5.45
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