Charleston's Cheapest Landmark Has an Expensive Habit

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Charleston's most photographed brick tower turned 150 this fall. A nonprofit bought it in 1999 for $75,000, which might be the best real estate deal ever struck on this coast.

The upkeep is another story.

The Morris Island Lighthouse first lit up in 1876. It went dark as a working light in 1962, after a newer light on Sullivan's Island took over the harbor job. Somewhere in between, the island it was built on washed out from under it.

That's why it stands in the ocean off the north end of Folly Beach. The tower started life with a healthy stretch of sand in front of it. Then harbor jetties built in the late 1800s rerouted the currents, and Morris Island lost the argument. The water reached the base by 1938, the same year the light went automatic and the keepers moved off.

Save The Light threw the birthday party on Sunday, Oct. 18, out on Bowen's Island with a Lowcountry boil, barbecue, live music and cake. If you missed it, the numbers are the better part anyway.

After the 1999 purchase, the state took ownership in 2000 and leased the tower back to the group for 99 years. Rent is $1, per the Folly Current. The group also signed up for every repair. Charleston landlords, take notes.

Those repairs add up. The nonprofit's own restoration plan runs $7.75 million over five phases. Phase one was the steel cofferdam ring around the base, finished in 2008. Next up are the 264 timber piles under the tower, soaking in salt water with shipworms for company. After that come the lantern room, the brickwork and a viewing spot on Folly with a history kiosk.

The group's website shows the repair fund at about 20% raised. Back in 2016, it said it had already put roughly $6 million into the tower. That was the year it relit the lantern for the 140th birthday using LEDs, batteries and a solar panel.

The newest headache is water. The Post & Courier reports the sea is now seeping into the cofferdam, so a cap goes on first, followed by a rebuilt dock and stair repairs. It also reports that moving the whole tower inland was ballparked at $30 million, an idea the group's chair has ruled out.

So it stays put, and you can still go look at it. The tower is closed to visitors, inside and out. The best view from land is at Lighthouse Inlet Heritage Preserve on the northeast end of Folly. Kayak, paddleboard and boat tours get you closer.

Two dates if you want to chip in on the light bill. The Save The Light Oyster Roast is Jan. 24, 2027, at Bowen's Island, and tickets tend to sell out. The 5K and half marathon start near the Folly Beach Pier on Feb. 6, 2027.

The next birthday worth a cake is No. 200. That's 2076.

Sources: Save The Light (restoration phases, $7.75 million plan, cofferdam, timber piles), savethelight.org (birthday party, funding progress, 2027 events, viewing spots), the Folly Current ($75,000 purchase, $1 lease), FollyBeach.com (2016 relighting, $6 million spent, 1962 shutdown), the Charleston City Paper (140th birthday date) and the Post & Courier (cofferdam leak, cap, $30 million relocation estimate)