Help Our Cause

Though no longer active aids to navigation, these structures remain powerful reminders of the people, industry, and coastal history that shaped the Lowcountry. Both towers are listed on the National Register of Historic Places, underscoring their national significance and our shared responsibility to preserve them.

Today, the 1858 tower faces a critical preservation challenge: the original internal cast-iron spiral staircase has deteriorated beyond use, preventing essential conservation and repair work at the top of the tower. 

To address this urgent need, the Cape Romain Lighthouse Preservation Society is undertaking a one-time project to construct a temporary external stair tower, allowing preservation specialists safe access to the lantern, watch room, and upper masonry while protecting the historic fabric of the lighthouse.

To complete the stair tower project, we need to raise $50,000. We have already secured $22,000, in addition to grant funding for the next phase of work. We cannot begin those critical repairs until safe access to the top of the tower is restored.

The total cost of the external stair tower project is currently $70,645.

Our step-by-step preservation plan is clear:

1. Fund and construct the temporary external stair tower (current campaign).
2. Install the stair tower and re-establish safe access to the lantern and upper levels.
3. Proceed with grant-funded structural repairs to the lantern and watch room, including stabilization and restoration at the top of the tower.
4. Continue preservation work from the top down, including water-intrusion mitigation, ongoing assessment, and future restoration phases as recommended by preservation professionals.
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Your contribution will directly support the preservation of one of South Carolina’s most significant historic landmarks. Gifts of any size make a meaningful difference, and all donations are tax-deductible.

If you would like to contribute, donations may be sent to Cape Romain Lighthouse Preservation Society, PO Box 31, McClellanville, SC, 29458, or online below: