The Lighthouses
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Cape San Blas Lighthouse The 98-foot skeletal lighthouse at Cape San Blas, near the town of Port St. Joe, is the fourth Cape San Blas Lighthouse. Built in 1883, it replaced brick towers built in 1849, 1856, and 1857. The lighthouse is comprised of eight cast iron legs that support the “watch room” and lantern at the top of the tower. Although the tower initially stood 1500 feet from the shore, a powerful storm in 1894 left it damaged and standing in water. In 1918 it was moved one quarter mile to where it stands today and the light was lit on January 22, 1919. |
| Cape St. George Light The Cape St. George Light was reconstructed at the center of St. George Island after its tragic collapse on October 21, 2005. Remnants of the historic structure were salvaged and volunteers cleaned old mortar off more than 22,000 original bricks which were used in the reconstruction. With extensive community support and public and private funding, the lighthouse was completed in November of 2008. The lighthouse was originally built at the west end of what is now Little St. George Island in 1833, and was rebuilt on Cape St. George in 1848 and 1852. |
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Crooked River Lighthouse The Crooked River Lighthouse, in the town of Carrabelle, was built in 1895 to replace the Dog Island lighthouse that was destroyed in a hurricane in 1873. The lighthouse is a 103-foot cast iron skeletal tower with 138 steps from the ground to the lantern room. The lighthouse was decommissioned by the U.S. Coast Guard in 1995. Although the structure was listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Coast Guard planned to surplus the lighthouse and auction it off to the highest bidder. The Carrabelle Lighthouse Association preserved and restored the lighthouse, which is now owned by the City of Carrabelle. Website.
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St. Marks Lighthouse The original St. Marks Lighthouse was completed in 1831 and the present tower, located in the St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge, was built by Winslow Lewis in 1842. Confederate forces attempted to blow up the lighthouse during their retreat in 1865 in order to deny it as a lookout for the Union forces. Though they were unsuccessful in destroying the tower, the damaged inflicted was substantial, necessitating a complete rebuild immediately following the war. At this time the tower was heightened to its present focal plane of 82 feet above sea level, and the original lighting apparatus was restored. The Lighthouse was automated in 1960 and remains today an active aid to navigation for vessels on the Apalachee Bay. |
