Savannah Light

Oct. 15, 2019
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Savannah Light, Savannah River, Georgia

First built in 1922, replaced with a Texas Tower in 1964, deactivated in 1996 after it was demolished by collision with a foreign freighter.

SAVANNAH LIGHT

Location: SAVANNAH RIVER ENTRANCE
Station Established: 1922
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1964
Operational: No
Automated: Yes 
Deactivated: 1996, see information listed below;
Foundation Materials: 4 Steel pilings
Construction Materials: Steel
Tower Shape / Markings / Pattern: 
Relationship to Other Structure: Separate
Original Lens: DCB 24
Characteristic:
Fog Signal:

Historical Information:

  • The Savannah "Texas Tower" was originally constructed and placed in operation in 1964 and was set up from the start as an automated light, controlled by the personnel at the Tybee light station. 
  • In 1996  it became the second "Texas Tower" to be demolished in a collision with a foreign-flagged freighter, the first instance being the Ambrose tower.  In the case of the Savannah structure, the Singapore-flagged container vessel Neptune Jade struck the tower in November 1996.  The collision sheered off and destroyed the entire structure.  A buoy marked the wreckage until a salvage company, Donjon Marine Company, was contracted to retrieve the wreckage off the ocean floor for scrapping.