While it wasn’t used to communicate with satellites, the tower of St. Philip’s Church was part of another form of communication system from 1893 until 1915. The steeple held the rear light in the Fort Sumter Range Lights — which were used to guide ships through main channel of Charleston Harbor. The front light was at Fort Sumter and the rear light was in the church tower. The system is still in operation today, with the rear light now situated in a tower built for that purpose in the harbor.
A local's eye view
