Standing in the waters off Folly Beach, an old, weathered sentinel appears. Resting precariously on a tiny plot of eroded shoal, Morris Island Light is a reminder of a grand era in American maritime history.
The lighthouse was completed in 1876. It was the second lighthouse to be built on the island. The necessity of a lighthouse first came about because of the shifting channel and a change in tidal currents. As sand began to build up between the islands, it resulted in the three neighboring islands merging into one single island. This one island was named Morrison Island and later changed to Morris Island. The first lighthouse was a casualty of the Civil War, blown up during battle.

After the Civil War, the funds were appropriated for the rebuilding of the lighthouse. The new tower stood 161 feet tall. Over time the constantly shifting tides caused severe erosion and the island began to shrink. Although many of the buildings on the island were destroyed, the lighthouse was automated in 1938. At this time the first order Fresnel lens was removed.

Through the years, over 1600 feet of land that surrounded the tower have been swept away with the current. Morris Island Light was decommissioned in 1962. There were plans to destroy the lighthouse, but local citizens rallied to save the beacon. Now the tower is privately owned and efforts continue to help protect and preserve this solitary but strong sentinel.