Station Sullivan’s Island, South Carolina
Coast Guard Station #196
Life-Boat Station Sullivan's Island, 1916
Location: At Moultrieville, on Sullivan’s Island at the north end of the harbor jetty.
Date of Conveyance: 1894
Year Station Built: 1894-1895
Fate: Discontinued
Remarks:
The diversion of the main ship channel at Charleston harbor from the vicinity of Morris Island to that of Sullivan’s Island, rendered the Morris Island Life-Saving Station too remote to afford prompt assistance to vessels encountering disaster while entering or leaving port through the new channel. Therefore it was decided in 1894 to buld a new station on Sullivan’s Island. The station was completed on 1 August 1895. Six men served as the station’s crew under the command of the first Keeper, Captain John Adams.
In 1934 the War Department granted a permit to the Coast Guard to construct and operate a pier, wharf, boat hoist, and boat shelter on Fort Moultrie Military Reservation. With the closing of Fort Moultrie, Sullivan’s Island Lifeboat Station was able to add the existing pier and boathouse to the station.
Photographs:
Original photo caption: "Exterior view of the Sullivan's Island Coast Guard Station, Moultrieville, S.C."; photo is dated as having been received by the Superintendent of Construction and Repair on 16 September 1916. No photo number; photographer unknown.
Original photo caption: “196 looking South.”; photo dated 3 April 1918;
no photo number; photographer unknown.
Original photo caption: "Equip Bldg. Old BH AU [?] Platform & Signal Tower on left Coast Artillery OB Tower on Right Sul [?] 1-20-40 SE Site (South Insp) Sullivans Island LB, SC." Photo dated 20 January 1940; no photo number; photographer unknown.
Original photo caption: "North end of station dwelling Sullivans Isld LB Sul. 1-20-1940"
photo dated 20 Janaury 1940; no photo number; photographer unknown.
Sources:
Station History File, CG Historian’s Office
Dennis L. Noble & Michael S. Raynes. “Register of the Stations and Keepers of the U.S. Life-Saving Service.” Unpublished manuscript, compiled circa 1977, CG Historian’s Office collection.
Ralph Shanks, Wick York & Lisa Woo Shanks. The U.S. Life-Saving Service: Heroes, Rescues and Architecture of the Early Coast Guard. Petaluma, CA: Costaño Books, 1996.
U.S. Treasury Department: Coast Guard. Register of the Commissioned and Warrant Officers and Cadets and Ships and Stations of the United States Coast Guard, July 1, 1941. Washington, DC: USGPO, 1941.