Cape Florida Lighthouse - Nautical Currents boating diving and ocean information

Cape Florida Lighthouse

(Click image for larger view)

The Cape Florida lighthouse is located on the southernmost tip of the Bill Baggs State Park on Key Biscayne, Florida, and is the oldest surviving lighthouse in Florida. The beacon from the lighthouse began guiding ships past the coral reefs and sandbars in 1825, 20 years before Florida became a state.

The lighthouse is a 95 ft brick tower that was originally built in 1825 and subsequently attacked and burned by Seminole Indians in 1836, during the second Seminole war.

The lighthouse was rebuilt in 1845, and it's height was extended from 65 ft to 95 ft in 1855 after hurricane damage. The wooden stairs were also replaced with 119 iron stairs that spiral all the way to the top. The lighthouse was restored in 1996 to its original 1855 condition.

The lighthouse keepers cottage that stands there today is a replica of the original 1825 building.

When the lighthouse's original keeper was stationed here, the nearest cities were Key West 160 miles to the south and St. Augustine 310 miles to the North and the only way to get to them was by boat. At the time, Key Biscayne was nothing more than a mosquito infested wilderness. The lighthouse's original keeper lived in the cottage with his wife and 7 children.

When Fowey Light was built in 1878 on a reef 6 miles offshore, the Cape Florida lighthouse's importance as a navigational aid became secondary. The lighthouse went out of active service in 1878 but was relit in 1978.

While the lighthouse once stood some 200 ft from the ocean, the shoreline has receded over the years and is now only about 30 ft from the water's edge.

The lighthouse keeper's cottage.	This replica was built in 1970.
U.S. Coast survey Base Marker	Our lighthouse tour guide, Susan.

Lighthouse facts:

The original tower was Built in 1825 of red brick. It was whitewashed to protect it from the elements.
The current keepers quarters are a replica of the 1846 keepers quarters, constructed in 1970 and made of red brick. The quarters now house a museum and both the lighthouse and the keepers quarters are open to the Public.
The original optic was 17 Argand lamps with 21 inch reflectors installed in 1846.
A second order Fresnel lens was installed in 1855.
The current optic is a 300mm lens and was installed in 1996.
The light was automated in 1978
The Cape Florida lighthouse was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1971.