Tybee Island, Savannah, Georgia
The first Light House built on Tybee Island was in 1736 and was wooden and ninety feet high, at that time reported to be the tallest building of its kind in the colonies. However, within five years it was destroyed by a a storm. In 1742, another tower was built of stone and wood, but this was also destroyed by winds and storms. The third structure, brick, was built more inland in 1773. Unfortunately, the Confederate Army found necessity to remove the lens and set fire to the Light House as they retreated from a Union attack. After the war an attempt to rebuild it was begun, but only the bottom sixty feet of the tower survived. The earthquake of 1886 damaged the tower and cracked the lens. In 1998 a major restoration project began, completed in 1999.
