St. Marks Lighthouse
Posted by: 
no_angel
N 30° 04.430 W 084° 10.785
16R E 771860 N 3330321
The St. Marks lighthouse marker is located adjacent to the St. Marks lighthouse in the St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge in the panhandle of Florida. There is a $5 entrance fee to the Wildlife Refuge area.
Waymark Code: WM6AJD
Location: Florida, United States
Date Posted: 05/03/2009
Views: 28
Marker Text: Noted lighthouse builder, Winslow Lewis, began work on the Saint Marks structure in 1829. Eroding shores forced relocation a short distance inland in 1842 to its present location. The adjoining keeper's house is not original, having been rebuilt on several occasions. During the Civil War the lighthouse played a role in military affairs primarily because of its strategic position on the coast. Coastal raids launched from the blockading squadron comprised much of the hostile action against the Confederacy in Florida. One such raid in 1862 resulted in the destruction of a fortification located near the lighthouse. In response to the danger of raids of this nature, Confederate Army pickets were positioned in or near the lighthouse as a lookout tower, a naval party landed and burned the steps and interior woodwork on July 15, 1863. In March of 1865 Federal troops landed near the lighthouse for a major raid into the interior only to be repulsed at the Battle of Natural Bridge. Restored to service after the war, it resumed the role of a navigational aid for Gulf Coast commerce.
Marker Number: F-207
Date: 1979
County: Wakulla
Marker Type: Roadside
Sponsored or placed by: The Florida Society Colonial Dames XVII Century
Website: [Web Link]
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Visit Instructions:
In your log, please say if you learned something new, and if you took any extra time to explore the area once you stopped at the historic marker waymark.
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