South Carolina Department of Archives and History
National Register Properties in South Carolina

U.S. Coast Guard Historic District, Charleston County (Ion Ave., Sullivan’s Island)
S1081771005901 S1081771005902 S1081771005903 S1081771005904 S1081771005905
Administration Building
Facade
Administration Building
Left Oblique
Administration Building
Left Elevation
Administration Building
Left Rear
Oblique
Administration Building
Rear Elevation
S1081771005906 S1081771005907 S1081771005908 S1081771005909 S1081771005910
Boathouse
Facade
Boathouse
Right Oblique
Boathouse
Left Rear
Oblique
Boathouse
Left Oblique
Light Tower
S1081771005911 S1081771005912 S1081771005913 S1081771005914 S1081771005915
Bunker
Left Oblique
Bunker
Left Rear
Oblique
Garage
Facade
Garage
Right Oblique
Garage
Right Elevation
S1081771005916        
Garage
Right Rear
Oblique

The Sullivan’s Island Coast Guard Station is the oldest extant life saving installment on the South Carolina Coast. Shortly after the Civil War, the Federal government recognized its obligation for the personal safety of citizens in the port area of Charleston with the establishment of the now defunct Morris Island Station. When the main shipping channel into Charleston was altered about twenty years later, the citizens of the immediate area indicated their reciprocal acceptance of that principle. In 1891 the nearby summer village of Moultrieville deeded five acres of land to the United States government for the express purpose of establishing a life saving station and again in 1896 an additional acre to compensate for loss of land by erosion. All of the contributing properties in the district are located behind the primary dune. The station house/administration building (ca. 1891), boathouse (ca. 1891), garage (ca. 1938), and signal tower (ca. 1938) are laid out in an L-shaped court loosely organized around the bunker/sighting station (ca. 1898). The non-contributing lighthouse (ca. 1962) lies nearest the ocean. Listed in the National Register June 19, 1973.

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