#78 Tybee Island

#78  Tybee Island

Saturday  November 15, 2019

On this beautiful Saturday we toured the Tybee Island Lighthouse and Fort Screven.

The original lighthouse dates to 1736. At 90 feet it stood as the tallest in the land.  A storm destroyed it and another was built in 1742 and it was destroyed.  In 1757 a third lighthouse was built on a third site a little further inland. It’s base forms the base of the current structure.  Today Tybee Lighthouse stands with the most famous on the Eastern Seaboard.

Lighthouses exterior  paint jobs are designed so it can be recognized in the daytime. Rarely do those designated marks change.  However, the Tybee colors have changed 6 times.

Seven and soon to be eight structures occupy the Lighthouse compound.  The compound and fort are open every day except Tuesdays.  We must have come on a Tuesday last time. 

The guys climbed the 154 steps to the top.  Then they pose for a long distance shot even though you can barely see them wave.

Two of the restored assistant light keepers home.  One provided a film that told about the lighthouse.

The docent in the lighthouse assured me that I would find this keeper’s house very well appointed.  She was correct. However, this home was not inside the lighthouse as some others have been.

The dining and kitchen areas were fairly spacious.

This home included the modern conveniences of a phone, ice box and a bathroom.

The master bedroom located on the first floor.

The living room or parlor for gatherings.  Their green upholstery looked comfortable, thus signs to remind people not to sit down.

The boys’ bedroom sat on one side of the hallway with blue quilts.

The girls’ room across the hall with pink quilts. 

The girls room also included a toy room under the eave.

The Fogarty Raised Cottage sits next to the Lighthouse complex and is in a state of restoration.  These houses built in the 1930 included: a Hipped Roof to help cool the interior, wrap around porches with oversized windows and vents to cool the air before getting into the house, Heart Pine wood framing and the raised design to add storage space, be above the flood plain and catch more cooling breezes.  This particular house had boards installed diagonally which created a stronger structure.  Probably helping this house survive the hurricane and two moves across Tybee.  This same design features can be seen even on modern construction along the Eastern seaboard.

We then crossed the street to explore what is left of Fort Screven.

Part of the old fort is used by the Shriners.  Another part holds a restaurant.  Some parts have houses build on top of the bunkers.

Unlike the NW batteries, Fort Screven’s batteries hold a museum telling the history of the fort and Tybee Island.  Check out the length of this rifle.

Most of the information displayed was in document form.  Different eras were covered.  The Native Americans; the Spanish 1520-1686; the Pirates 1650-1725; English Colony of Georgia 1733-1748 of which Oglethorpe figured prominently; Revolutionary War 1750-1782; the Civil Way 1861-1862.

Descriptions of four batteries hung on the walls too.  Troops were trained here and met disastrous results when sent to Cuba in 1898. 

More soldiers went to Fort Screven during WWI to protect the coastline.  During WWII in 1940, the fort provided diving and salvaging training for the Coast Guard and US Army Corps of Engineers. The Fort was closed in August 1944 and the fort was sold to Tybee Island for $200,00 in November 1945. In January of 1946 the town sold the property at a public sale. It has been sold several times and divided.

Troops from Fort Screven in the 1930’s the fort received an upgrade from coastal artillery fortification to an infantry post looking similar to other forts of the time period.

The History of Tybee Island seems embedded with the fort history.  Early in 1887 development started on the island and the mid 1890 it had become a booming destination place.  Permanent residentcy began about 1910.

The 1920s and 1930s are considered the Golden Era.  With the tourist trade developing. I found it interesting that prohibition did not slow the island down. It became a main port for the rumrunners smuggling goods between the Bahama and Caribbean with the island being a good place to hide their goods.

In the 1950s the rapid growth had taken its toll.  A new problem developed with traffic congestion arose.  People didn’t come for a lengthy stay.  They just wanted to come out to the beach for the day.  So the new expressway was built. By the 1960s and 1970s the tourist trade began to slow down.  Apparently gambling and crime needed reining in.  The history stops a bit or I decided not to take photos.  Today, 2019 Tybee Island is a funky, laid back little community to visit.

From the top of the batteries you can drink in the Atlantic Ocean view.  These huge cargo ships get into Savannah through the Intracoastal Waterway, and seagrass.  Amazing!

The pier and pavilion extend out into the Atlantic Ocean.  On this day, surfers held hope of getting a good wave.

Or you can walk along the shore.

Or if you are like me, the water beckons you to come wading. We found a swing on the beach and sat for a while enjoying the see.

The dunes rise above the beach with sea grasses trying to help hold it in place. 

Here are examples of a few homes here. These are the newer homes. This is an old community and smaller, older homes still stand. 

Welcome to Main Street Tybee Island!

Paula Deen and her sons opened a new restaurant called the Creek House Seafood and Grill.  We gave it try.  Dinner was OK, but not the level of taste we expected from our past meals at a Paula Deen restaurant.

On to Brunswick and the Golden Isles!