The original tower, built in 1835, was never put into service. While awaiting the necessary oil to light the lamps, warring Seminole Indians evicted the lighthouse keepers from the grounds. When an ill-timed storm battered the coast, the foundation of the new light was badly damaged. Without access to the site for repairs, the tower began to list, and finally tumbled to the ground, and so was never lighted.

 The existing tower was built in Baltimore, MD, and shipped south to its present site, once known as Mosquito Inlet, in 1887. At 175', it is the second tallest tower on the East Coast. What is now within easy access was an isolated stretch of coastline at that time, serviced only once each year, by tender, delivering kerosene and other supplies.

Stephen Crane, author of Red Badge of Courage, was shipwrecked near this tower, and used its light to guide him toward the shore. This well-known author later wrote The Open Boat, describing his ordeal.

Wikipedia update (04/2021): The Ponce de Leon Inlet Light is a lighthouse and museum located at Ponce de León Inlet in Central Florida. At 175' (53 m) in height, it is the tallest lighthouse in the state and one of the tallest in the United States (the Cape Hatteras Light in North Carolina is taller at 207' (63 m)). It is located between St. Augustine Light and Cape Canaveral Light. Restored by the Ponce de Leon Inlet Lighthouse Preservation Association, the lighthouse became a National Historic Landmark in 1998.

Among the first Southern lights, Tybee was originally lit in 1791, although that wooden tower had 3 short-lived predecessors, which were used as daymarks. All 4 wooden towers became victims to fire which took them 1 by 1. In 1892, after the last of the wooden towers went down in flames, a brick tower was built, and fitted with Argand oil lamps. This fine light burned until it was snuffed out during a fierce Civil War battle fought on that site. The Union Troops had taken Tybee Island and, when forced to leave the area, the lighthouse was destroyed in an explosion and resultant fire.

Although intent on rebuilding this important light, the work crew was lost in a cholera epidemic, and all efforts to rebuild were set aside until after the war.

Today’s tower stands 145' above sea level, and boasts a 1st-Order Fresnel lens. This light was put into service on October 1, 2867, and has burned steadily ever since. The tower, grounds and museum are open to the public.

Wikipedia update (04/2021): The current lighthouse is the fourth tower at this station, though neither of its first two predecessors were lit. The first tower was built at the direction of James Oglethorpe and was constructed of wood; erected in 1736, it was felled by a storm in 1741. The following year a replacement was erected, this time of stone and wood, but still without illumination; instead, it was topped with a flag pole. This tower succumbed to shoreline erosion.

The third tower was constructed in 1773 by John Mullryne, a brick tower originally 100' (30 m) in height. It was first fitted with a system of reflectors and candles, but this was upgraded to oil lamps after it was ceded to the federal government in 1790. A second tower was added to the site in 1822 to form a range. Both towers received Fresnel lenses in 1857, with the lower front tower being equipped with a 4th-Order lens, while the main tower received a larger 2nd-Order lens.

Confederate forces burned the light in 1862 during the Civil War and removed the lens as they retreated to Fort Pulaski. Reconstruction of the light was begun in 1866 but was delayed by a cholera outbreak. A new tower was constructed atop the first 60' (18 m) of the old tower, raising the height of the whole to 154' (47 m). This tower was equipped with a 1st-Order lens. The front beacon was now a 50' (15 m) wooden skeleton tower equipped with a new 4th-Order lens.

The main tower was severely damaged in a hurricane in 1871, and developed such serious cracking that a $50,000 appropriation was requested for its replacement. Instead a new front tower (which had already been moved twice) was constructed of iron. New keepers dwellings were constructed in 1881 and 1885. The following year the tower was shaken by the 1886 Charleston earthquake, which damaged the lens and caused further cracking of the brickwork; these were both however immediately repaired. In 1933 the tower was electrified and the station reduced to a single keeper. The beacon was automated in 1972.

Throughout its life the daymark of the tower was modified on numerous occasions. Originally all-white, the base and lantern were painted black in 1887; this was altered in 1914 and again in 1916, each time bringing the black at the top further down the tower. In 1967 the entire tower was repainted with a white base and a gray top. The gray faded severely and was painted black in 1970.

In 1999 a major restoration project was begun under the auspices of the Tybee Island Historical Society, who took possession of the light station in 2002 under the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act. As part of this project the tower was repainted in the 1916–1966 black-white-black daymark. The beacon is still a functioning navigational aid, still using its original lens. The site is open to the public and retains its keepers houses and auxiliary buildings as well as the lighthouse tower

Key West comes from the Spanish, “Cayo Hueso,” meaning “Bone Island.” We don’t know why Spanish explorers found the remains of so many on this small island. . .the name conjures up images of pirates and shipwrecks and horrible storms, but whatever the reason, Key West is an intriguing place.

The first lighthouse was built in 1825 but, sadly, was short-lived. In 1846 a hurricane swapt through Key West and destroyed the lighthouse and took the lives of many of the townspeople. Not deterred by the tragic loss of her children, Mrs. Mabrity, widow of the original keeper, returned to care for the new light when it went into service the next year. She continued as keeper for the next 14 years, showing commitment worthy of admiration.

Key West is wonderfully restored and is open to the public.

Wikipedia update (04/2021): The Key West Lighthouse is located in Key West, Florida. The first Key West lighthouse was a 65' (20 m) tower completed in 1825. It had 15 lamps in 15" (380 mm) reflectors.

The first keeper, Michael Mabrity, died in 1832, and his widow, Barbara, became the lighthouse keeper, serving for 32 years. The Great Havana Hurricane of 1846 destroyed the lighthouse; the USS Morris, which was wrecked during the storm, reported "a white sand beach covers the spot where Key West Lighthouse stood." Barbara Mabrity survived, but 14 people who had sought refuge in the lighthouse tower died, including 7 members of her family. (The same hurricane destroyed the Sand Key Lighthouse, 8 miles (13 km) away, killing 6 people, including the keeper, Rebecca Flaherty, another widow of a previous keeper.) Barbara Mabrity continued to serve as keeper of the Key West Light until the early 1860s, when she was fired at age 82 for making statements against the Union (Key West remained under Union control throughout the Civil War).

As both lighthouses serving Key West had been destroyed in the 1846 hurricane, a ship, the Honey, was acquired and outfitted as a lightship to serve as the Sand Key Light until new lighthouses could be built. Due to efforts to reorganize the Lighthouse Board, Congress was slow to appropriate funds for the new lighthouses. The new tower for the Key West Light was completed in 1848. It was 50' (15 m) tall with 13 lamps in 21" (530 mm) reflectors, and stood on ground about 15' (4.6 m) above sea level. In 1858 the light received a 3rd-Order Fresnel lens. In 1873 the lantern was replaced (it had been damaged by a hurricane in 1866), adding 3' to the height of the tower. The growth of trees and taller buildings in Key West began to obscure the light, and in 1894 the tower was raised 20', placing the light about 100' (30 m) above sea level.

After the Coast Guard decommissioned the Key West Light in 1969, it was turned over to Monroe County, which in turn leased it to the Key West Arts and Historical Society. The society operates the lighthouse and its associated buildings as the Key West Light House and Keeper's Quarters Museum. On display at the museum is the 1st-Order Fresnel lens from the Sombrero Key Lighthouse.

This unique piece, one of the oldest lighthouses still active on the Southern Coast, has been sculpted to accurately depict its structural details. Although the architectural plans for this lighthouse were perfect in every detail, the builder’s interpretation was a bit unusual.

Note that the catwalk sits askew atop the tower. Also, the tower walls rise at different angles. These details are peculiar to Ocracoke Lighthouse and add to its special appeal.

The light we know as Ocracoke is actually the 2nd lighthouse on this site. Built in 1823 at a height of 75' above sea level, Ocracoke remains active to this day. It is the oldest working lighthouse on the southern coast.

Ocracoke Island is best known as the hideout for the infamous pirate Blackbeard. The pirate is said to have met his maker in the waters just off Ocracoke Island, but not before his gunmen destroyed 2 British ships. The British sailors finally overpowered Blackbeard and his men, and won the hard-fought battle on the decks of the pirate ship. Legend has it that when Blackbeard was beheaded and his body thrown overboard, his headless torso still possessed the tenacity to swim around his ship 7 times before giving into the seas around him.

Ocracoke is also well-remembered for playing an important role in the revolutionary war as a major supply depot for General Washington’s armies. Even now, visit to this little village is truly a step back in time.

Lighthousefriends.com update (4/2021): Ocracoke Lighthouse’s modest height (75'), subdued color scheme (solid white), and tranquil setting (a small island on the east side of Ocracoke Inlet) belie the dramatic history of its surrounding area. The calm waterway that today carries pleasure boats and small fishing craft witnessed its share of treachery, heroism, and adventure long before the lighthouse stood sentinel over the inlet.

Ocracoke hardly had an auspicious beginning; it was put on the map after an English sailing ship was wrecked on the shoal-ridden inlet in 1585. But its eventual useful role as a waterway access to various inland ports pales in comparison to the high drama played out in its waters. True, the gifted and dashing Sir Walter Raleigh landed on Ocracoke at least once during his explorations of the new world, but the real excitement came from another reckless Englishman — Edward Teach, better known as Blackbeard, the most ruthless and dreaded of pirates.

On May 7, 1822, Congress set aside $20,000 for a lighthouse on Ocracoke Island, and the federal government shortly thereafter purchased two acres and commissioned Noah Porter of Massachusetts to build a tower and keeper’s cottage. The lighthouse was to be coated with an unlikely formula of lime, salt, ground rice, whiting, and clear glue, which was mixed with boiling water and applied to the bricks while hot. Porter completed the project the next year, for $11,359, considerably less than the sum the government had budgeted. Such happy efficiency turned out to be indicative of the useful, relatively uneventful life of Ocracoke Lighthouse.

In 1849, the lighthouse was equipped with a new lantern room and lighting apparatus, which consisted of 10 brass lamps and 20 1" reflectors instead of the 15 that had been used before. The apparatus revolved every 2 minutes to produce a flashing light. The characteristic of the light was changed to fixed white in 1854 through the installation of a 4th-Order Fresnel lens.

The lighthouse survived the Civil War with minimal damage; Confederate troops dismantled the 4th-Order Fresnel lens in 1862, but Union forces re-installed it the following year. The light was electrified in the early 1900s and today casts a stationary beam visible for 14 miles.

The original keeper's dwelling consisted of a 1-story, 3-room structure with a gable roof. In 1897, the roof was removed and a 2nd-story added, providing an additional three comfortable rooms. Another addition was built in 1929 to create a double dwelling. An oil house, constructed of reinforced concrete and equipped with iron doors and ventilators, was added to the station in 1914.

Because the lighthouse and keeper’s cottage are built on relatively high ground, they have served as a refuge for local residents during hurricanes. One example of this occurred in October 1913, when a hurricane struck the Outer Banks. Wesley Austin had just taken charge of the light, after having served as first assistant at Currituck Beach Lighthouse since 1893. Keeper Austin was commended by the Lighthouse Service for saving government property and giving shelter to island residents during the storm.

Ocracoke Lighthouse was switched off in November 2009 and remained dark until March 3, 2010 while new glass was installed in the lantern room, metalwork was repaired, and lightning protection was installed. This was the first major work performed on the lighthouse after it had been transferred from the Coast Guard to the National Park Service in 1999.

As one of the oldest operating lighthouses in the country, Ocracoke Lighthouse is of historical interest, and the grounds around it and the keeper’s cottage are open to the public. Although the days of piracy, exploration, and heavy trade in Ocracoke Inlet are over, the islanders’ distinctive accent, known as the Ocracoke Brogue, is one of the most well-preserved of early-American speech, and gives visitors a taste of how the language of Sir Walter Raleigh and Blackbeard would have sounded.

Although not yet considered an historic lighthouse, Hilton Head is an important beacon in that it is seen and remembered by hundreds of thousands of people that visit the lovely area known as Hilton Head, South Carolina. Sailors from all over the world look for its light marking the tranquil waters of Harbourbown. Its unusual tower shape, distinguished by wide bands of red and white makes a distinctive daymark for sailors and landlubbers alike.

An older light, put into service in 1881, still stands in Hilton Head. The Hilton Head Rear Range Light is on private property and not open to the public. History tells us of Keeper Adam Fripp and his 20-year-old daughter, Caroline, manning the light together during a hurricane in 1898. During the storm Keeper Fripp suffered a fatal heart attack, and with his last breath begged his daughter to relight the lamps and keep the flame, which she did, not only for the rest of that tragic night, but for the worst days of the storm. Caroline never recovered from her ordeal and joined her father in three weeks time.

Update from Trip Hobo site (04/2021): Harbour Town Lighthouse, Hilton Head (Harbour Town) Lighthouse, built in 1970, Harbour Town Lighthouse is a hexagonal column that provides private aid to navigation. What made the lighthouse popular among the golfing enthusiasts in the annually televised golf tournament ‘The Heritage’ which takes place at the Harbour Town Golf Links. The candy cane-striped unique structure is available for weddings and has become a popular tourist destination. The lighthouse also houses a museum with memorabilia of the Harbour Town and gift shops offering local arts and crafts.

This piece was signed by Tori-Dawn in 1993. She is Bill Younger’s youngest daughter. She used to be HL’s origination painter and would paint all of the samples that went to HL’s factories.

Wikipedia update (04/2021): The original St. Simons Island lighthouse, which was built in 1810, was a 75' tall (23 m) early federal octagonal lighthouse topped by a 10' (3.0 m) oil-burning lamp. During the American Civil War, U.S. military forces employed a Naval blockade of the coast. An invasion by Union troops in 1862 forced Confederate soldiers to abandon the area. The retreating troops destroyed the lighthouse to prevent it from being an aid to the navigation of Union warships.

The U.S. government constructed a new lighthouse to replace the original, building it to the west of the original's location. It is a 104' (32 m) brick structure completed in 1872 and was outfitted with a 3rd-Order, biconvex Fresnel lens. The lens is one of 70 such lenses that remain operational in the United States. Sixteen of those are in use on the Great Lakes, of which eight are in Michigan. The rotating lens projects four beams of light, with one strong flash every 60 seconds. A cast iron spiral stairway with 129 steps leads to the galley (or watch/service room). In 1876, the lighthouse was overhauled.

In 1934 the kerosene-burning lamp was replaced by a 1000-watt electrical light, and was fully automated in 1953.

On July 1, 1939, the United States Lighthouse Service was placed under the jurisdiction of the US Coast Guard.

In 1972, the Coast Guard placed rear range lights on two towers at the entrance to the Frederica River off of St. Simons Sound. Entering the entrance channel at sea and proceeding inward, by keeping the lighthouse centered between the two rear range lights, keeps one in the center of the entrance channel. The lighthouse is therefore still an active navigational aid.

In 1972, the lightkeepers' cottage was leased to Glynn County. The Coastal Georgia Historical Society spent three years restoring the 2-story Victorian light keepers' cottage, located at the base of the lighthouse, which was then converted into a museum. In 1984, they leased the historic lighthouse structure. For a fee, the public can tour the museum, and climb the 129 steps to the top of the lighthouse for a view of St. Simons Sound and the surrounding area.

The tower underwent restoration in 1989–91 and again in 1997–98.

May 26, 2004, ownership of the lighthouse was transferred to the Coastal Georgia Historical Society under the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act.

The light mechanism is maintained by the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary, led by Jeff Cole since 1993.

The St. Simons Lighthouse, along with the northernmost water tower on Jekyll Island, creates the demarcation line that separates St. Simons Sound from the Atlantic Ocean.

The lighthouse is a picturesque and beloved symbol of St. Simons Island, and Glynn County, Georgia. It is the subject of many paintings and other artistic renderings.

In 2010, the St. Simons Island lighthouse underwent a major renovation. It was closed to the public for several months while all interior and exterior paint was sandblasted off, and then repainted. Eight iron handrail posts at the top of the tower were replaced, having been recast from one of the originals. All ironwork was sandblasted and repaired as needed. Great lengths were taken to protect the valuable Fresnel lens during the restoration. It was bubble wrapped, shrink wrapped, and then finally enclosed in a plywood box. A temporary spotlight attached to the galley of the lighthouse continued to guide ships into the Sound while the main light was out of operation.

The history of lighthouses and daymarks in St. Augustine dates back to the 16th Century. We also know that Sir Francis Drake spotted a tower there while sailing north in 1586, and upon investigation, found a Spanish village on the mainland.

Later lights were built in the same area by the Spanish and the English to warn incoming ships of impending dangers. After the United States took possession of Florida in 1821, they immediately set to work constructing a lighthouse on Anastasia Island, which was completed in 1824. This early tower was finally destroyed by the sea in 1880, and the light we now know was erected in 1874. It is fitted with a 1st-Order Fresnel lens, and stands 161' above sea level. St. Augustine was built in the same design as Cape Hatteras, with black and white candy cane stripes marking the tower. St. Augustine’s tower and keepers quarters have been meticulously restored by the Junior League, and it is “must see” for anyone interested in our nation’s history and the role of lighthouses therein.

In 1994, the Lighthouse Museum of St. Augustine opened full-time to the public. A community-based board of trustees was created in 1998. The men and women of the volunteer board are charged with holding the site in trust for future generations. In 2002, under the direction of current Executive Director Kathy Fleming, ownership of the tower and historic Fresnel lens was transferred from the U.S. Coast Guard through the General Services Administration and the National Park Service to the St. Augustine Lighthouse and Museum, Inc. This was the first such transfer of a U.S. lighthouse to a non-profit organization. The Museum keeps the light burning as a private aid-to-navigation. In 2016 the museum changed its name to the St. Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime Museum.

The St. Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime Museum aims to preserve local maritime history, keep alive the story of the nation's oldest port, and connect young people to marine sciences. The museum board and staff also work to help save other lighthouses in Florida and across the nation, coordinating efforts with several federal agencies and volunteer groups such as the Florida Lighthouse Association. The Lighthouse employs close to 50 individuals, and is visited annually by over 200,000 people including 54,000 school-aged children.

The museum maintains an active archaeological program (Lighthouse Archaeological Maritime Program, or LAMP) that researches maritime archaeological sites around St. Augustine and the First Coast region. Staff archaeologists have discovered a number of historic shipwrecks and investigated many others, along with other maritime sites such as breakwaters, plantation wharf remains, and the nearby remains of St. Augustine's original lighthouse. The museum also researches other aspects of maritime heritage including boat building and the history of the local and regional shrimping industry and maintains a growing collection of World War II artifacts focusing on the history of the U.S. Coast Guard in St. Augustine. The Keeper's house is used to display a series of exhibits related to these various aspects of St. Augustine's maritime history. The Lighthouse also hosts a volunteer-driven heritage boat building program, which has built a number of traditional wooden boats from various time periods in the port's history.

In early 2010, the First Light Maritime Society was established as the support organization for the St. Augustine Lighthouse & Museum and LAMP. The use of this fundraising organization was discontinued by the Lighthouse & Maritime Museum with its re-branding in 2016.

CONDITION: Very good. Displayed for a short time in glass-enclosed curio cabinet.

If damaged in shipping, buyer must save damaged carton to show shipper’s rep condition of boxes.

NOTE: for the most part, I only collected full size Harbour Lights. GLOWS and Little Lights of Mine will be clearly identified as such should I find I have any.