Cape Canaveral Lighthouse
Posted by: 
BoomersOTR
N 28° 27.580 W 080° 32.558
17R E 544777 N 3148208
Historical Marker located at the Cape Canaveral Lighthouse on the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.
Waymark Code: WMZZPC
Location: Florida, United States
Date Posted: 01/29/2019
Views: 3
This lighthouse is the oldest standing structure on Cape Canaveral. Originally built in 1868 it was to replace an existing shorter lighthouse that proved to be a hinderance to navigation rather than a help.
Historical Marker Text:
CAPE CANAVERAL
LIGHTHOUSE
On May 21, 1838, Florida Territorial delegate Charles Downing requested a lighthouse be built on Cape Canaveral. The first lighthouse completed in Jan. 1848 stood 65-feet tall, had a 55 foot tower and a 10-foot lantern room equipped with 15 lamps on 21-inch reflectors. The brick tower and keeper's home cost under $13,300. Nathaniel Scobie oversaw construction and appointed the first keeper. With the advent of the Civil War, S. Mallory, Confederate Navy Secretary, ordered Florida east coast lighthouses "extinguished." Keeper Mills Burnham removed the lamp and buried it in his orange grove. A state-of-the-art, 151-foot iron tower was erected in 1868 and topped with a 1st Order Fresnel lens. The tower's living quarters were used for storage and a weather station. In 1871 a storm surge washed over the lighthouse area spoiling lamp oil and drinking water. This and shoreline erosion caused the lighthouse to be moved. From Oct. 1893 to Jul. 1894 the tower was dismantled, moved by tram one mile inland and re-erected, along with a 1st and 2nd assistant's and keeper's homes, to its present location. In 1939 the Coast Guard took ownership. In 2000 stewardship was transferred to the 45th Space Wing, Patrick Air Force Base.
A FLORIDA HERITAGE SITE
SPONSORED BY THE BREVARD COUNTY HISTORICAL COMMISSION
THE BREVARD COUNTY TOURIST DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL
AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE
F-628 2008
IMPORTANT NOTE: This historical marker has limited access availability due to it location on official government property. The easiest way to visit this waymark is to sign up for a Lighthouse tour with the Cape Canaveral Lighthouse Foundation. Details and booking can be found at Canaveral Lighthouse Tours, by phone at 321-307-2900 and email at Contactus@Canaveral.Tours. Visit canaverallight.org for more information.
Marker Number: F-628
Date: 2008
County: Brevard
Marker Type: Roadside
Sponsored or placed by: SPONSORED BY THE BREVARD COUNTY HISTORICAL COMMISSION THE BREVARD COUNTY TOURIST DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Website: [Web Link]
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Visit Instructions:
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