Cape St. George Light

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Cape St. George Light

The Cape St. George Lighthouse (from US Coast Guard archives)
Location: St. George Island, Florida
Coordinates
WGS-84 (GPS)		 29°35′15.2″N, 85°02′49.32″W
Year first lit: 1852
Automated: 1949
Deactivated: 1994
Foundation: Stone
Construction: Brick
Tower shape: Conical
Height: 72 ft (22 m) (as of 1932)
Original lens: Third order Fresnel lens
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For the Australian lighthouse see: Cape St. George Lighthouse (Australia)

The Cape St. George Light was a 74-foot (23 m) high brick lighthouse that stood for 153 years on St. George Island, Florida, until it unexpectedly toppled into the Gulf of Mexico October 22, 2005.

The first lighthouse on St. George Island was erected at the west end of the island to mark the entrance to Apalachicola Bay. At the time Apalachicola, Florida was an important cotton port. The tower was 65 feet (20 m) tall, and held 13 lamps with 15-inch reflectors (although the captain of a revenue cutter reported in 1834 that the tower was 75 feet (23 m) tall and had 11 lamps).

In 1847 a new tower was constructed on Cape St. George, two miles (3 km or 4 km) southeast of the original light. The old tower apparently was torn down and the salvaged materials reused in the new tower. This second tower had a third order lens, and could be seen 15 miles (24 km or 28 km) at sea. A hurricane in 1851 knocked the tower down. The lighthouses at Cape San Blas and Dog Island were destroyed by the same hurricane, and Apalachicola was heavily damaged.

The third lighthouse on St. George Island was erected the next year, 1852, 250 yards (230 m) further inland than the previous tower. The new tower was built on a foundation of pilings, more substantial than the 18-inch (0.5 m) deep foundation of the previous tower. The walls were made of hydraulic cement, and were 4 feet (1.2 m) thick at the bottom, tapering to two feet (0.6 m) thick at the top.

As with other lights that fell under Confederate control during the Civil War, the lens and supplies from the Cape St. George Light were removed, first to Apalachicola, and then further inland. Union ships captured Apalachicola in 1862, but the light stayed dark. The lens was found at the end of the war, and restored to the light. The lens had been damaged, creating a dark angle, and it was eventually replaced in 1899.[1] A tropical storm damaged the tower and the other buildings in 1878.

The Cape St. George Light was converted to burning mineral oil in 1882, and to incandescent oil vapor in 1913. the light was automated in 1949 and retired from active use by the United States Coast Guard in 1994.

In 1995 Hurricane Opal washed away much of the sand around the tower, which caused it to move off its foundation and rotate, so that it was tilted about 10°. the tower was further damaged by Hurricane Georges in 1998. Supporters raised $50,000 locally and $160,000 from the state to fix the tilt. The tower was righted and a new foundation built under it in 2002. However, the base of the tower was exposed to surf, and the new foundation began deteriorating. The tower collapsed on October 22, 2005.

[edit] Recovery

However, much of the lighthouse's remains were recovered, followed by a project to reconstruct it. The site chosen was on St. George Island. In April 2008, the lantern room was placed on top of the nearly completed lighthouse.[2]

[edit] References

  1. ^ St. George & Cape St. George Island Lighthouses URL retrieved September 7, 2006
  2. ^ Update: St. George Island lighthouse topped off today
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