GIFT OF ALBERT FENDIG, JR.
The Early Keepers F rom the date of the
members was typically
construction of the
unofficial, the wives of
St. Simons Lighthouse
keeper Isaac Peckham
until its conversion
(1883-1892) and Joseph
to electricity in 1953, eight light
Champagne (1892-1907) did
keepers faithfully maintained the
receive official recognition
light. These devoted caretakers
by the U.S. government.
of the tower’s beam lived with
Dora Peckham and Abbie
their families in the Victorian
Champagne were granted
keeper’s dwelling at the base of
the official designation as
the lighthouse.
Assistant Keepers.
The strenuous round-the-
Perhaps the best known of
clock nature of their duties
the keepers and their families
included lugging 3-gallon cans of
was Carl Olaf Svendsen who
kerosene to fuel the flame up the
served as the head keeper
129 steps that led to the top every
from 1907 to 1935. Born on
evening, as well as countless
his father’s ship in the harbor of
St. Simons Lighthouse. This was
return the salute by raising a flag.
other daily maintenance needs.
Cardiff, Wales in 1878, Svendsen
no unfamiliar task, as his father,
Helen said that her father made it
These tasks invariably required
spent his life by the sea before
mother, and brother all served
possible for the flag to be raised
the help of their family members.
arriving with his wife Annie and
as keepers at various times in
by Annie from the cottage, adding
While assistance from family
daughter Helen to care for the
lighthouses from South Carolina
that it was always her mother
to Florida. The
that returned the salute because
Svendsens added two
her father was constantly busy
more children, Carl
working. The family resided in
Jr. and Lucille, to their
the cottage and maintained the
family while residing
lighthouse until Carl’s death in
in the keeper’s cottage.
1935. The Svendsens were part of
Daughter Helen once
the celebration of the lighthouse’s
shared in an interview
50th birthday in 1922. Thanks to
that captains of ships
the steadfast care of light keepers
arriving in St. Simons
and their assistants in those early
Sound would salute
years, the lighthouse endured
the lighthouse with a
through winds and weather so this
whistle blast and her
occasion can now be celebrated
mother Annie would
once again a century later.
OPPOSITE PAGE: Orlando Poe, Engineer Secretary of the U.S. Lighthouse Board. ABOVE LEFT: Light Keeper Joseph Champagne (standing, far right) and his wife Assistant Keeper Abbie Champagne (seated, left) with unidentified gentlemen, c. 1900; TOP: Light Keeper Carl Olaf Svendsen with his wife Annie and their oldest children, Helen and Carl, Jr. AUGUST 2022
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