When first lit in 1962 the lighthouse had a complex array of high-intensity lamps that put out 28,000,000 candlepower.

	Built in 1962 as a replacement for the lighthouse on Morris Island, this unusual 3 sided lighthouse had the brightest light ever put into service in a lighthouse.
The day we visited it was all locked up and we couldn't get inside the fence.

Built 1962 as a replacement for the Morris Island Lighthouse in Charleston Harbor, the "New" Charleston Lighthouse is located on Sullivan's Island, on the north side of the Charleston Harbor entrance.  It is very visible and almost hard to miss.  The lighthouse is an odd 3 sided design.  It looks more like the control tower at an airport instead of a lighthouse.  It was first painted orange and white, but local residents objected, wanting a more traditional look.  This already unusual looking three sided tower is day marked now in black and white.  It stands one hundred and sixty-three feet high, almost twice as high as the average lighthouse.  It's built of steel girders and sheathed with aluminum panels.  It is the last traditional, or tended, lighthouse to be built in the United States.  It is no longer tended though, being automated almost from it's first day of operation.  It is also said to be the only lighthouse in the country to be equipped with an elevator, which is reported to work only some of the time. There is an office space at the bottom of the tower.  

 

When first lit in 1962 the lighthouse had a complex array of high-intensity lamps that put out 28,000,000 candlepower. The bright light was so intense as to be deemed dangerous.  So in 1967 the light output was reduced to  1,170,000 candlepower.  To get there, head to Mount Pleasant and take SC 703 to Sullivan's Island.  Look for the lighthouse to your left as you get on the island.  You can't miss it. The day we visited, there was no one there and we couldn't get inside the fenced area but we did get a good look and had an opportunity to take some pictures.

This Coast Guard picture from 1962 shows the lighthouse with the black & white Day mark