Folly Beach - Morris Island Lighthouse
Charleston’s Coastal
1870’s Lighthouse Is Crumbling into the Sea.
Morris Island
Lighthouse Can Now Be Seen in Live Video Below - Scroll Down.
Charleston, SC 8/31/2005
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The steady glow of a lighthouse's protective flame has been
symbolically weaved into past tales of the sea for generations.
These beloved stories have deteriorated into the tide over the years
however; a lucky few of these cherished lighthouses are now
historical landmarks that are not entirely forgotten. Most
lighthouses existing along the Carolina’s and Virginia coastline
have been protected to ensure their presence stands firm for many
generations to come. Morris Island Lighthouse located in coastal
Charleston’s Folly Beach
South Carolina
is slowly being consumed by the steady tides and pulverizing waves
that have lapped at its base since before the American Civil War.
For the first time, this beautiful lighthouse can be viewed by the
public from all over the world. This live web cam offers the public to “click” preset
buttons that guide the web camera to various panoramic views of the
Folly Beach coastline; including beautiful landscape views of the
Morris Island Lighthouse.
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Click on different views.
The Morris Island lighthouse is button number 2.
If the view changes by itself, it
is because other people online are changing it. |
Morris Island
Lighthouse
began as a small beacon that held a flame to warn sailors of the
rocky shores in 1673. In 1767, almost one hundred years later, King
George III of England commissioned a 42 foot tall lighthouse to be
built to better serve the increasingly busy port of Charles Towne.
The light was “extinguished” at the beginning of the American
Revolutionary War in 1775, in order to prevent it from helping guide
the British ships. The "Charleston Light", as it was called then,
was one of two lighthouses to survive the Revolutionary War.
What stands today as the 102 foot tall Morris Island Lighthouse was
originally built in 1838. During the American Civil War, this
monument was destroyed in 1862 by the Confederacy so as not to aid
the Union troops; however, when the Union Army took over Folly
Beach, SC they quickly built a makeshift lookout tower on top of the
lighthouse ruins to help guide their troops. Shortly after the
Civil War ended in 1865 the famed lighthouse was rebuilt on Morris
Island.
Due to the ever encroaching sea eating away at the South Carolina
Coast, the
Morris Island Lighthouse originally stood 1600 feet inland from the
shore. Over the years the coastline has eroded into the ocean and
now the lighthouse stands xxx feet in the middle of the water.
Since the 1870’s the Atlantic Ocean's rhythmic waves have also
caused the lighthouse’s antiquated wooden base to rot and become the
ideal breeding ground for microbes that add to its structural
instability. Local government and private contributors are raising
money to help preserve this historical landmark with the official
preservation of Morris Island Lighthouse due to begin in the spring
of 2006. Thanks to these Federal and private funds, this South
Carolinian relic is in the process of being preserved for future
generations to enjoy.
Most Folly Beach
locals will tell you that the Morris Island Lighthouse holds a
special place in their hearts… like a parent that is always there
watching over them. Although photographs forever immortalize this
beautiful structure, nothing can compare to seeing the Morris Island
Lighthouse live under the warm South Carolina sun with the
glittering Atlantic Ocean waves shimmering all around. So,
if you can’t be in Charleston’s coastal Folly Beach Island in person
to see this beautiful lighthouse, you can now visit the live video
broadcasts... and allow this historical landmark’s majestic beauty
to leave a lasting impression on your mind, the way Morris Island
Lighthouse has since the dawn of this great country.
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About the Author: Heidi McKenzie is a native South Carolinian who
resides in the Folly Beach SC area and has come to love the
Charleston coast for its history and natural beauty. Heidi is a
part-time freelance writer and enjoys surfing just minutes away from
Morris Island Lighthouse.
This article may be copied and published for use as long as the
article is kept in its entirety including the links to
www.follysurfcam.com.
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