Description

The island is home to an unusual lighthouse, a triangular tower of steel and concrete sheathed in aluminum that was built in 1962, replacing the original structure built in 1848 and rebuilt in 1872. The modern, air-conditioned lighthouse is the only one in the United States with an elevator. Originally equipped with a 28-million candlepower light, it was downgraded to a little more than 1 million candlepower, but it can still be seen 28 miles out to sea.

Today, Sullivan’s Island epitomizes the unhurried, casual lifestyle of a beach community. Residents get around on foot, on bikes or in golf carts. When they need to leave the island, they travel across an old-fashioned drawbridge. There are no hotels of any sort and rental properties are frowned upon in this family-oriented, close-knit community.