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Harbortown
Lighthouse - Hilton Head
Surrounded by
elegant shops, galleries, and restaurants at its base, the Harbor Town lighthouse at Hilton
Head was built in 1970 and is quite well loved by residents and visitors even though many
lighthouse purists resent it. The Coast Guard doesn’t maintain it and officially
it’s not a lighthouse at all although it does have a beacon inside. It does guide
boats in from the waterway on the mainland side of the island but the intentions of this
lighthouse are not to assist in safe passage. It was built for one purpose, to create an
aid to commerce rather than an aid to navigation. It’s basically a tourist attraction
that works as a three dimensional sign and symbol in the shape of a lighthouse promoting
Hilton Head. The idea has worked and it has become a prominent identification tool for not
only the Hilton Head area but for South Carolina in general.
It will cost you a few
dollars to get on the part of the island where the Harbortown lighthouse is located. Many
restrictions are in force on the island, for instance you can’t trailer a boat into
that area as I found out. The whole island is designed to service the privileged few. Not
my kind of place although I’ll have to admit that the grounds are so well kept that
it is impressive.
The Harbortown lighthouse is open daily
and there’s no charge to walk the one hundred and ten stairs to the top where you can
read plaques with information and pictures about Harbour Town and the lighthouse. Charles
E. Fraser developed much of the island and built the lighthouse. Although his idea for
this privately owned beacon met with skepticism at the time, over the years not only the
lighthouse but all of Hilton Head has became more and more popular. The ninety-foot high
tower offers a nice view of the small harbor and the Harbour Town Golf Course that is part
of the Sea Pines Plantation development. When you get to the top you’ll find a gift
shop full of typical souvenirs.
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