The Cape Romain Lighthouses, two brick towers on Lighthouse Island off South Carolina, were built to warn ships away from the long, dangerous shoals off Cape Romain. The first, completed in 1827, was too dim for the coast’s hazards, leading to a taller second lighthouse authorized in 1853. Its powerful Fresnel lens and revolving beam greatly improved visibility, though the tower developed a noticeable lean. The lights were extinguished during the Civil War and relit in 1866. Isolated station life later gave way to popular “Cape Parties,” and since the refuge’s creation and the lighthouses’ 1981 historic designation, preservation has relied on public and local efforts.