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Cape Romain Lighthouse

Lighthouse · Charleston County, South Carolina

Cape Romain 1857 Lighthouse, Charleston County, South Carolina
Cape Romain 1857 Lighthouse, Charleston County, South Carolina · Unknown authorUnknown author / Wikimedia Commons · Public domain

Cape Romain Lighthouse is a lighthouse in Charleston County, South Carolina. South Carolina has 21 lighthouses on record at Wayfarrow, 9 of them in Charleston County.

It was built in 1857, in the Civil War era, making it the 2nd oldest of the 9 in South Carolina with a recorded construction date; the tower stands about 150 feet tall (2nd tallest of 10 measured in South Carolina); its light sits 161 feet above the water; the light has a range of about 19 nautical miles; it was deactivated in 1947; the structure is built of brick.

Status check, 2026-11: This 150-ft octagonal brick tower was first lit on January 1, 1858 and was taken out of service in 1947. The older 65-ft tower from 1827 still stands next to it on Lighthouse Island, in Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge. It carries the heritage designation National Register of Historic Places contributing property. It is not reachable by road: the nearest road is about 6 miles away, so it is seen from shore or reached by water. It stands at 33.0189° N, 79.3736° W.

Key facts

Current structure built1857
Tower height150 ft
Focal height161 ft
Range19 nautical miles
Deactivated1947
Materialbrick
Heritage designationNational Register of Historic Places contributing property
Coordinates33.01889, -79.37361

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Nearby places

Questions

Where is Cape Romain Lighthouse?

Cape Romain Lighthouse is in Charleston County, South Carolina, at 33.0189, -79.3736.

How many lighthouses are in Charleston County?

Charleston County, South Carolina has 9 lighthouses on record at Wayfarrow.

Sources and licences

Facts marked "approximately" carry an uncertain date in the source. Text on this page is generated from the sources above; no encyclopedia prose is copied. Last updated 2026-11-05.