Cockspur Island Lighthouse – Coastal Georgia Art

Description

There’s simply something dreamy about this rendition of the beautiful little lighthouse on Cockspur Island off the coast between Savannah and Tybee Island. Shimmering blue waters reflect the historic lighthouse and that amazing sky above. If you love nautical art in general or have visited Cockspur Island Light, I bet this print speaks to you as much as it does to me. I feel such a sense of serenity when I look at it… It’s a charming mix of architecture and nature.

The little lighthouse on Cockspur Island might not tower as tall as Tybee Island light, but it’s a beautiful little sliver of Georgia history on the coastal waters there. And where the light at Tybee has been rebuilt several times over the years, Cockspur Island Lighthouse is relatively unchanged over the years. A beautiful sense of continuity don’t you agree?

It was built first as a daymarker for the south channel of the Savannah River in the 1830’s, but within a decade or so a light had been added to the tower on Cockspur Island. That first light was damaged in the hurricane of 1854. A year later a new lighthouse stood on Cockspur Island. And that mid 19th century lighthouse has stood every since on the water near Lazaretto Creek between Tybee and Savannah.

By 1909, the Cockspur Island Lighthouse was no longer needed to aid navigation and the old light was extinguished. The historic lighthouse has since become part of the Fort Pulaski National Monument (part of the National Park Service). And in 2007 for historic reasons rather than navigational ones, the Cockspur Island Light was lit once more.

While it might stand in the shadow of Tybee Light, Cockspur Island Light, as one person told me, is a hidden gem of the Georgia coast. The little island it rests on appears only at low tide. I’ve heard that many who visit the light up close do so as part of a day kayaking on the waters near Tybee. And it was a view over the water and the salt marsh grasses that I wanted to portray in this print of Cockspur Island Lighthouse.

Have you visited the light at Cockspur Island on a trip to the Georgia coast? Or maybe you live near there? Or perhaps you simply love the classic styling of an authentic 19th century lighthouse standing watch over serene blue coastal waters? I hope you’ll stop for a moment to share what attracted you to this particular print!