Cape Florida Lighthouse

Year Built

1825

Cost

$13,000

Type

Tapered cylindrical tower

Height

95 feet

Location

Cape Florida, Key Biscayne

Automated Year

1976

First Lit

1845

Lens Type

1846: 17 Argand lamps with 21-in reflectors, 1855: Second-order Fresnel lens, 1996: 300 mm lens

Fog Signal

None

Year Deactivated

(1878–1978) and (1990–1996)

Color

Whitewashed red brick with black top

Last Keeper - Date

John W. Frow (1868 – 1878)

Description

The lighthouse is the oldest standing structure in Southern Florida.

Brief History

•  On July 23, 1836, a band of Seminole Indians attacked the tower.
•  In 1851, Lieutenant George G. Meade was sent to investigate lighthouses along Florida’s reefs and give recommendations for improvements.
•  On January 19, 1861, Florida seceded from the Union, and one night in August of that year, the lamp was removed from the tower and the prisms of the lens were smashed by a trio of southern sympathizers.
•  After the Civil War, Cape Florida Lighthouse was repaired and placed back in service on April 15, 1866.
•  One hundred years after Cape Florida Lighthouse had been extinguished, it was re-lit on July 4, 1978.