SC to spend $3 million repairing Hunting Island lighthouse. Here’s what that means
The lighthouse at Hunting Island State Park will soon get a $3 million upgrade to ensure it will stand along the Beaufort County coastline for years to come.
The state Legislature recently approved the S.C. Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism’s 2021-22 budget request for the lighthouse project, spokeswoman Samantha Queen confirmed Monday.
The $3 million will go toward structural repairs for the only publicly accessible lighthouse of its kind in South Carolina.
“The project schedule will be based on when we conclude the procurement process and select a vendor,” Queen wrote in a statement Monday. “We expect work will take two years to complete once it begins.”
It’s still unclear, though, when the lighthouse will be closed for construction, and for how long.
The tourism department will alert residents to the closure via SouthCarolinaParks.com, Queen wrote. (The park will launch a “virtual reality experience” for visitors to simulate the climb up the structure.)
The lighthouse was built over 160 years ago in 1859 and rebuilt after being destroyed in the Civil War. Park visitors can pay a fee and climb the 167 steps to the top of the spiral cast-iron staircase for sweeping views of the Atlantic Ocean.
Engineers assessed the integrity of the brick and cast iron structure in 2018. They documented cracks and corrosion and analyzed how much weight the historic staircase could safely hold.
In response to recommendations from a report by Bennett Preservation Engineering in Charleston, the state previously said it planned to repair the facility, estimating the project could cost $3 million.
Currently, Queen wrote, only six visitors are allowed in the lighthouse at one time, on a reservation basis, to “assist in preserving the historic structure,” among other things.
“More than 50,000 visitors climb the lighthouse steps every year,” Queen wrote. “Due to the salt air and the number of visitors, wear and tear on the lighthouse occurs at an accelerated rate.”
