Just under a month after the restoration and preservation of the Tybee Lighthouse was completed, a lens has shattered.
According to Tybee Island Historical Society Director Sarah Jones, part of the original 1867 first order Fresnel lens that had been previously cracked years ago, fell and shattered over the weekend. This piece had already been damaged, and the repair just failed, Jones said.
No one was near the lens when this occurred. Jones said they are in the process of determining next steps. The Coast Guard owns the lens room and is responsible for its maintenance, she said.
“Ultimately, the Coast Guard’s going to be the ones that decide on how to handle that repair,” Jones said. “We never really know how fast the government’s wheels are going to turn, but hopefully they’ll be able to do it sooner rather than later. We’ve been working with them, getting them the resources we have available and sharing that with them.”
The lighthouse recently completed a 10-month long, nearly $2 million renovation and preservation to repair the Fresnel lens, roof, masonry and more. The Tybee Island Historical Society was able to secure $117,000 in grants and donations to assist with the project and is hosting a fundraiser next month on Oct. 18 to help pay for some of the project.
Tybee Island lighthouse restoration complete; historical society still fundraising
The lighthouse has a unique history as one of Georgia’s icons. It’s been used for active navigation since after the Civil War and remains as navigational aid for the Coast Guard. Jones said the piece of the lens that needs to be repaired is on the land side, not the water side. The rest of the lens is operable, so it won’t affect any day-to-day operations.
“It’s still open for climbing and will remain so,” Jones said. “We tell all of our climbers to be very careful when they climb, shouting or yelling or jumping from a step to a platform can indeed affect the lens. I don’t doubt that it was caused in part by all of the windy weather we had lately, on top of the vibrations that were caused by the restoration.”
Jones still encourages residents and visitors to come climb, and that everything is safe for the public. All the money from ticket sales goes right back to the historical society to help pay for future repairs.
Destini Ambus is the general assignment reporter for Chatham County municipalities for the Savannah Morning News. You can reach her at dambus@gannett.com
This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Tybee lighthouse lens shatters shortly after restoration
