~ welcome ~

Dear Visitor,

Hello, welcome to Save the Light, Inc.
Save the Light is a grass roots non-profit organization that was formed to save the Morris Island Lighthouse from being lost to the sea. We bought the lighthouse from the previous owner in 1999, turned around and gave it to the State of South Carolina at the end of 2000 after working out a lease agreement by which Save the Light would transfer ownership to the state of South Carolina at no cost. Now all the citizens of the great state of South Carolina own it. Save the Light retains all responsibility for planning, engineering, fund raising and execution of all aspects of the preservation of the Morris Island Lighthouse.

The project has moved along very nicely since 2000 once we became organized and established our goals. We immediately began working with the US Army Corps of Engineers and a private engineering consultant to have the structure evaluated and the phases of restoration planned. After eight years of operation, we have raised over $4,500,000 in federal, state, and local funds. Work on Phase I, involving the construction of a steel cofferdam around the base and large stones placed around the outside perimeter to prevent further erosion was completed in March of 2008. We are in the process of finalizing the scope and engineering for Phase II whereby we will jet grout the area under the Lighthouse to fill any voids that might exist between the base of the lighthouse and the piling foundation, as well as fill the cofferdam and cap it with concrete. We are in the midst of a capital fund raising campaign to be able to construct phase II and it looks very promising that work can begin by year's end. We expect this phase of construction will cost around one and a half million dollars and take up to a year to complete.

We are very excited about getting the Phase I behind us. We have moved from being a good idea to being a project in progress. It is no longer a matter of IF but WHEN we will complete our job of preserving this, the most beloved symbol of South Carolina's maritime heritage. We hope that you find the website enjoyable and informative and we hope that you will join us in our effort to save this irreplaceable part of our state and nation's history. There is a lot of work yet to be done and there are a lot of ways that you can help. Please start by becoming a member, renewing your membership,or making a capital campaign donation.

Thank you for your support. You are always welcome to stop by our new Folly Beach location at 81 Center Street for more information, and while you are in Folly Beach, thank Avocet Realty for donating this wonderful office space to Save the Light!


Al Hitchcock, Chairman