St George Island Lighthouse
The first lighthouse on St. George Island was erected in 1833 near the island’s western tip. It marked the narrow entrance to Apalachicola Bay at West Pass between St. George Island and St. Vincent Island. In 1847 Congress appropriated $8,000 for a new lighthouse on the cape, 2 miles southeast of the original site. A hurricane in the fall of 1850 undermined it, and the fourth hurricane of the 1851 Atlantic hurricane season toppled the tower in August of that year. The Cape St. George lighthouse was rebuilt in 1851–52, 250 yards inland from its previous site; construction was hastened by the salvage and re-use of two thirds of the bricks of the ruined tower.
In 1995 Hurricane Opal washed away much of the sand around the tower, shifted it partially off its pilings and rotated it, leaving it leaning about 10° from vertical. In 1998 the tower was further damaged by Hurricane Georges. The tower was righted and a new foundation built under it in 2002. However, the base was still exposed to surf, and the new foundation began deteriorating.
On Friday, October 21, 2005, the Cape St. George Light collapsed into the Gulf of Mexico. On Monday, December 1, 2008, the reconstructed lighthouse was opened to the public. First built in 1833 and rebuilt in 1848 and 1852 on what is now Little St. George Island, the Light finally succumbed to beach erosion and pounding waves. Working with state and federal government support, the St. George Lighthouse Association spearheaded the effort to salvage the pieces of the Light. Volunteers cleaned the mortar off thousands of the old bricks. The original plans were obtained from the National Archives in Washington, D.C. and the lighthouse was reconstructed on St. George Island, using as much of the original materials as possible.
Construction of a replica of the original keeper’s house was begun next to the lighthouse in the fall of 2009. The two story brick building was opened in the summer of 2011 and houses a museum which tells the story of the lighthouse and its keepers and a gift shop that offers visitors the opportunity to take home a memento of their visit to the historic lighthouse
Where it is:
Maps:
Interactive Google Map
Use the map + – controls to zoom in and out, click and drag the to move the map, use the Map drop-down to change to “Map”, “Satellite”, “Hybrid”, or “Terrain” views. Drag the little man icon from the upper left corner to a map location for street level view.
GPS:
29.663060°N 84.862702°W
Cost:
Lighthouse Climbing Fees
Adults age 13+ – $5.00
Youth age 7 to 12 – $3.00
Children age 6 and under – No Charge
U.S Military Personnel or Veterans with ID – $3.00
Members of the St. George Lighthouse Association – No Charge
Florida Lighthouse Association – No Charge
St. Augustine Lighthouse & Museum – No Charge
Group Rates
Twelve or more people who make advance reservations.
Adults – $3.00
Youth – $2.00
No Charge for entry to the Gift Shop and Museum or Free Climbing Day held annually in April each year.
Hours:
Fall/Winter Hours
November 1 – February 28
Mon, Tues, Wed, Fri, Sat: Noon – 5 PM
Sun: Noon – 5 PM
Thurs: Closed
Spring/Summer Hours of Operation
March 1 – October 31
Mon, Tues, Wed, Fri, Sat: 10 AM – 5 PM
Sun: Noon – 5 PM
Thurs: Closed
Restrooms are on location along with museum and gift shop.
St George Island Lighthouse Photo Gallery
Click Here for full page gallery
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Greg Disch is a freelance photographer located in Arkansas. Greg specializes in nature, scenic, wildlife, and other outdoor subjects in Arkansas and other areas of the country. Most of the images on this site are available for sale as prints, personal use, or rights managed stock photos.
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