Sullivans Island celebrates lighthouse

This Saturday is National Lighthouse Day and Charleston residents and visitors will celebrate the Sullivan’s Island Lighthouse. The Sullivan’s Island Lighthouse began lighting up the Charleston sky in 1962.

“It’s the last major lighthouse that was built in the United States. And, the light sits about like 163 feet above mean sea level. There’s 140 foot tower on top of that base. And, the neat part about the lighthouse is it’s steel and aluminum and it’s triangular shaped, and you’re not going to find another lighthouse that’s triangular shaped.”

Carlin Timmons is a Park Ranger with Fort Sumter and is working with this Saturday’s open house celebration at the lighthouse. Not only is it a celebration, but Timmons says they need to make the lighthouse accessible to the public. Timmons says she hopes to have the lighthouse on the national register by 2012, and if so, they will have another gathering to celebrate.