The Sapelo Island Lighthouse is one of the most historic transportation structures on the Georgia coast. As a result of its restoration, the lighthouse has become an important and useful historic interpretive site for the people of Georgia as well as for the many visitors who come to Sapelo Island. The Sapelo Island Lighthouse was reopened September 7, 1998. The reconstruction of the lighthouse was made possible in part by federal Transportation Enhancement Activity (TEA) funding provided by the Federal Highway Administration and distributed by the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT).

The overall project was sponsored by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, including the lighthouse reconstruction, distinctive signing, land clearing and a restoration of the entire complex surrounding the lighthouse. The Sapelo Island Lighthouse was built in 1820 and abandoned by the federal government in 1905. The overall restoration project took eight months to complete.

Additionally, the nearby oil house was stabilized and the original daymark (paint pattern on the outside) of the lighthouse from the mid-19th century was restored. The restoration of this historic transportation structure removed the threat of demolition, neglect, redevelopment and insensitive rehabilitation. The project is part of a larger plan for preservation and restoration of a number of historic structures on Sapelo Island.

Please click on each picture for a larger view.

Lighthouse & Oil House
after Restoration

Detail of Oil House

Aerial View after Restoration