If you have visited Hilton Head Island, chances are you know about the iconic red and white striped Harbour Town Lighthouse.
It has become a symbol of the Island, and a popular tourist attraction for visitors. But did you know of the lesser-known Leamington Lighthouse?
Also known as the Hilton Head Range Rear Light, this lighthouse was built in 1879. It guided ships through Port Royal Sound into the Savannah River. It stood proudly until 1896, when a hurricane destroyed it.
Today, only a small part of the Leamington Lighthouse remains standing.
It is located in the Leamington neighborhood of Palmetto Dunes Resort overlooking the Arthur Hills Golf Course. It is a popular spot for tourists who are interested in Hilton Head’s maritime history. A short walk along the beach takes you to what remainsof this historic structure.
Yes, the faux lighthouse at Harbour Town, on the southern end of Hilton Head, is more widely known. But, the Hilton Head Rear Range Light is the Island’s one true lighthouse. Featured on the National Register of Historic Places and part of the Inventory of Historic Light Stations, the lighthouse occupies a unique place in Hilton Head’s history. It is one of only a handful of surviving lighthouses in South Carolina.
Today, only the 92-foot structure survives.
It sits alongside a vintage brick oil house, a water cistern and one of the oldest living oak trees on Hilton Head. This majestic tree reaches a height of approximately seventy feet. Its canopy shades the Leamington Lighthouse, spreading one hundred fifty feet at its widest point. The tree’s diameter is nine feet one inch. According to industry calculations, this estimable tree is between 425 and 450 years old.
