Cape Florida Lighthouse - Cape Florida FL
Posted by: Groundspeak Premium Member nomadwillie
N 25° 39.994 W 080° 09.364
17R E 584697 N 2839029
Originally constructed in 1825, he Cape Florida Light is a lighthouse on Cape Florida at the south end of Key Biscayne in Miami-Dade County, Florida. This lighthouse was destroyed in 1835 and replaced in 1846 and renovated in 1855.
Waymark Code: WM10B7X
Location: Florida, United States
Date Posted: 04/06/2019
Published By:Groundspeak Premium Member silverquill
Views: 0

The Cape Florida Light is a lighthouse on Cape Florida at the south end of Key Biscayne in Miami-Dade County, Florida. Constructed in 1825, it guided mariners off the Florida Reef, which starts near Key Biscayne and extends southward a few miles offshore of the Florida Keys. It was operated by staff, with interruptions, until 1878, when it was replaced by the Fowey Rocks lighthouse. The lighthouse was put back into use in 1978 by the U.S. Coast Guard to mark the Florida Channel, the deepest natural channel into Biscayne Bay. They decommissioned it in 1990.

In an 1855 renovation, the tower was raised to 95 feet (29 m), to extend the reach of the light beyond the off-shore reefs. That year the original lamp and lens system was replaced by a second-order Fresnel lens brought to Cape Florida by Lt. Col. George Meade of the United States Army Corps of Topographical Engineers. The heightened tower with its new, more powerful light, was re-lit in March 1856.
Simeon Frow became the keeper in 1859. Confederate sympathizers destroyed the lighthouse lamp and lens in 1861 during the American Civil War. The light was repaired in 1866, and Temple Pent was re-appointed keeper. He was replaced in 1868 by John Frow, son of Simeon Frow.

Source: (visit link)
Street address:
SE tip of Key Biscayne off U.S. 1
Cape Florida , FL


County / Borough / Parish: Dade

Year listed: 1970

Historic (Areas of) Significance: Event, Architecture/Engineering

Periods of significance: 1875-1899, 1850-1874, 1825-1849

Historic function: Defense

Current function: Recreation And Culture

Privately owned?: no

Primary Web Site: [Web Link]

Secondary Website 1: [Web Link]

Secondary Website 2: [Web Link]

Season start / Season finish: Not listed

Hours of operation: Not listed

National Historic Landmark Link: Not listed

Visit Instructions:
Please give the date and brief account of your visit. Include any additional observations or information that you may have, particularly about the current condition of the site. Additional photos are highly encouraged, but not mandatory.
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