In 1807 John Gould was hired to
build the Saint Simons lighthouse
on John Couper's land.

The lighthouse was constructed of bricks,

and tabby mix made of water, oyster shells, and sand.

The lighthouse was 85 foot tall,
And was a force to be reckoned with by all.

In May of 1810 President Madison
ordered James Gould as the lighthouse's first keeper.
The Macon Artillery at fort Brown was it's seekers.

They were west of the lighthouse on King's field of the King's plantation,
The work they did was no less than a fascination.

During the war the Federal Troops forced the confederate army to
evacuate the island, and the lighthouse,
The lighthouse was destroyed, and for a while the barn served as quietly as a mouse.

Later Cluskey was sent to build a
new lighthouse just west of the old one.
But by 1871 malaria made the jobs harder to get done.

By 1874,
The lighthouse surrounding waters was declaring war,

Water was standing stagnant around the building in places like never before.

The lighthouse was sick, and in 1871,

was wrought with malaria and sore.

Cluskey had some of his crew die in
1871, just before the lighthouse was done.

The lighthouse was finished in
1872, In 1876, the roof and walls
were water proofed, and a speaker was run through.

In the late 1950"s, the last light
house keeper David O'Hagan retired...

and the old technology was fired.

The old keepers home was separated
from the old lighthouse, and the hole was sealed,
and today the lighthouse stands alone in all it wondrous appeal.

Poem © By Penny Waterloo

Photo used with permission © Pam Fisher

Midi playing:  Ebb Tide

Copyright © 2007  Kîttêñ

All rights reserved