Phase 1 of Morris Island lighthouse done

The Morris Island lighthouse quietly is being saved, one phase at a time.

On March 28, crews completed the first phase of work on the lighthouse off Folly Beach. The project included building a 12-foot-tall cofferdam around the structure's base to protect it from the Atlantic Ocean.

Members of the Save the Light Foundation celebrated the completion of Phase 1 at a gathering on the beach with state legislators, members of the Army Corps of Engineers and others who helped make the work possible, said Richard Beck, chairman of Save the Light.

"Everybody was very, very pleased," Beck said.

The group is looking toward Phase 2, a $1.7 million project that will inject hydraulic concrete into the base of the lighthouse to fill in any cracks or voids. Save the Light has raised $1.3 million for the work and will hold an auction and capital campaign to raise the rest.

Beck said he will bring interested companies to the site in the next week, so they can bid on the work. The group hopes to raise the rest of the money and begin work on Phase 2 before the end of the year.

The Morris Island lighthouse, which dates back more than 130 years, has been weathered by wind and waves. At high tide, the base of the lighthouse is under water. The state has taken ownership of the lighthouse and continues to provide some funding to restore it, although Save the Light has taken the reins on the restoration. The cofferdam is helping save the lighthouse from further erosion, and the hydraulic concrete will keep the base secure.

Beck estimates the cost of the lighthouse restoration at $6 million.

Colleges also have been paying attention to the lighthouse. Beck said The Citadel may add an engineering class focusing on the lighthouse's restoration, and Clemson University has shown interest in incorporating the lighthouse into some curricula. An online, 24-hour camera has been documenting the work, found at www.charlestoncrystalball.com. Once the foundation is complete, the group will focus on the lantern room.

Visit www.savethelight.org.