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The purpose of the South Carolina Picture Project is to celebrate the beauty of the Palmetto State while preserving some of its vanishing landscapes.

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Governor’s Lighthouse

SC PICTURE PROJECT 10 Comments

SC Picture Project / Horry County / Governor’s Lighthouse

Located in the small fishing village of Little River, the Governor’s Lighthouse was commissioned in 1984 by Governor Richard Riley. This small, aptly-named lighthouse was built to honor all South Carolina governors, past and present. It stands at the end of Coquina Harbor.

Little River Lighthouse

Blake Lewis of Greenwood, 2014 © Do Not Use Without Written Consent

The Governor’s Lighthouse is a facsimile lighthouse, meaning that it was not built by a government agency and cannot be used as a navigational aid. Although a prominent local landmark, the lighthouse is on private property and is for use by the residential community’s residents and their guests only.

The Governor's Lighthouse

Scott Hoffman of Green Sea, 2010 © Do Not Use Without Written Consent

Reflections on Governor’s Lighthouse


Blake Lewis says, “With family on the way out to the Atlantic to go deep sea fishing on Voyager III.”

Scott Hoffman shares, “We had some friends in from Missouri making their first visit to South Carolina. We were taking them out fishing, but it was a rough day on the sea and we had to turn around and come back. Our guests were thrilled at seeing this beautiful lighthouse — it was the highlight of the day.”

Add your own reflections here.

Plan Your Trip: Governor’s Lighthouse

Where is Governor’s Lighthouse located?
Address: Lightkeepers Way, Little River, SC 29566
GPS Coordinates: 33.859826,-78.637100
What else should I see?
Coquina Harbour 0.5 mile
Little River Swing Bridge 2 miles
Little River 2.6 miles
Cherry Grove Pier 3.3 miles
Show me more like this!
  • See other South Carolina Lighthouses
  • Little River Historic Sites
    Governor’s Lighthouse Map

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Jan Buehler says

      January 22, 2019 at 1:57 PM

      Can we hold small intimate wedding ceremony at the lighthouse? How would we make those arrangements?

      Thank you.

      Reply
      • SC Picture Project says

        January 22, 2019 at 11:02 PM

        It is for a private residential community but they may allow this type of thing. You would have to reach out to them directly and their contact information can be found here: http://www.coquinaharbour.com/. Hope this helps and good luck!

        Reply
    2. Jane O'Connor says

      April 11, 2017 at 6:00 PM

      I would like to give my grandson a picture from Myrtle Beach for graduation. Any suggestions? I will have it framed & I happen to like this Governor’s Lighthouse. Thank you!

      Reply
      • Joana Newton says

        April 13, 2017 at 1:07 PM

        I’m an artist and I do commission work

        Reply
    3. JJ Squillace says

      January 3, 2017 at 1:28 AM

      Where is it in Little River, SC?

      Reply
      • SCIWAY says

        January 3, 2017 at 7:15 AM

        Hi, JJ. There are a map and coordinates at the bottom of the page to give your directions.

        Reply
    4. Ava says

      July 20, 2016 at 11:37 AM

      Not worth driving to. You can’t go in it and it’s not even a real lighthouse, plus we asked the owners of they could take us up to it and the acted stuck up and refused to. I was so excited to go and ended up just wasting gas. Just a waste of time and definitely not worth it!

      Reply
    5. michael garay says

      January 26, 2015 at 7:42 AM

      Are passport stamps and postcards available for the Governors Lighthouse?

      Reply
    6. Dean Small says

      March 23, 2012 at 4:16 PM

      I helped build this lighthouse, nothing but a lot of steel and concrete. I worked on it from pouring the foundation to putting the felt on the roof. I signed my name on the plywood sheathing on the very top. We used a hand cranked pulley system to bring all plywood forms and other materials to the top, and used a crane to pour the concrete. It was a very interesting build.

      Reply
    7. Sallie says

      June 22, 2011 at 9:02 AM

      My mom was a native of Green Sea.

      Reply

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    We are a federally-recognized 501(c)(3) nonprofit that works to preserve the history of South Carolina’s historic, natural, and cultural landmarks before they are lost to time. This website serves as a permanent digital archive of over 2,300 South Carolina landmarks – and counting. Learn more about our work.

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    ABOUT US

    We are a federally-recognized 501(c)(3) nonprofit that works to preserve the history of South Carolina’s historic, natural, and cultural landmarks before they are lost to time. This website serves as a permanent digital archive of over 2,300 South Carolina landmarks – and counting. Learn more about our work.

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