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Sand Key Lighthouse, Florida

When I think about the Sand Key Lighthouse the words perseverance, tragedy and strength come to mind. Located 9 miles south-southwest of Key West Harbor the Sand Key Lighthouse has witnessed numerous storms and tempests for over 180 years. Two lighthouses have served the site as the guide to Key West through the dangerous Florida Reef.
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John Flaherty became ill and passed away in 1830 and Rebecca was appointed the new Keeper of Sand Key Light.  In November 1834 Rebecca remarried at the Sand Key Light.  Her husband Fredrick Neill was appointed Keeper until he left this position in 1836.
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John Flaherty became ill and passed away in 1830 and Rebecca was appointed the new Keeper of Sand Key Light. In November 1834 Rebecca remarried at the Sand Key Light. Her husband Fredrick Neill was appointed Keeper until he left this position in 1836.

  • When the U.S. gained possession of the Florida Keys in 1821 the Lighthouse Establishment immediately set out to mark the islands with lighthouses.  After constructing the initial lights at Cape Florida, Key West and the Dry Tortugas they turned their attention to building a light to guide commerce to the busy port of Key West.  In 1826 Congress appropriated $16,000 to build a brick conical 65 foot tower upon Sand Key.
  • Sand Key was a small sandy 350 foot islet approximately 9 miles from Key West Harbor.  The lighthouse marked a channel through the reef and went into service April 15, 1827.  John Flaherty and his wife Rebecca transferred to Sand Key from their duties as the Keepers of the Dry Tortugas Light where they did not enjoy the isolation.  Being close to Key West they were able to host visitors frequently.
  • John Flaherty became ill and passed away in 1830 and Rebecca was appointed the new Keeper of Sand Key Light.  In November 1834 Rebecca remarried at the Sand Key Light.  Her husband Fredrick Neill was appointed Keeper until he left this position in 1836.
  • In 1837 Joshua Appleby, a former wrecker, was made Keeper of Sand Key Light.  Joshua rode out several hurricanes in the tower at Sand Key in 1841, 1842 and 1844.  These storms resulted in the destruction and rebuilding of the Keepers house and a seawall.
  • In October 1846 Joshua was visited by his daughter, her husband, their 3 year old son, another friend and their daughter.  That evening Sand Key was struck by the famous great hurricane of 1846.  The storm washed away the islet and all of the buildings upon it killing all six people.
  • A lightship named the ‘Honey’ was sent to the site to stand watch for the next seven years until a new lighthouse could be built.  I.W.P. Lewis was tasked by the Lighthouse Board to design a new lighthouse for the unstable site.  He designed an open-framed wrought-iron screwpile structure which would be secured to the reef.
  • Construction finally began in 1853 under the direction of Lt. George Meade who had just finished working on the Carysfort Reef Lighthouse.  The new 132 foot tower rose quickly above the crystal clear waters.  A square dwelling with 9 rooms sat at the bottom of the tower with a 112 step enclosed stairway leading to the lantern.  Meade designed a lantern with diagonal astragals to house a flashing First Order Henry-LePaute Fresnel lens.
  • The new lighthouse was lit on July 20, 1853.  In the ensuing years the lighthouse was battered by more hurricanes, and the reformed islet was once again washed away, but the lighthouse remained steadfast upon its foundation.
  • The Sand Key Lighthouse was automated with an acetylene light in 1941 and the Keepers were removed.  The unattended tower fell victim to vandalism and disrepair.  In 1975 the lighthouse was placed on the National Register of Historic Places and in 1982 the first order lens was removed.  During repairs in 1989 a fire broke out which gutted the dwelling and stairway.  After much debate, the structure was repaired for $500,000 and returned to service in 1998.
  • In 2013 several old reef lighthouses were deemed to be unsafe by the Coast Guard and they installed small 50 foot towers next to them.  The navigational light was removed from Sand Key Lighthouse and moved to one of these newer structures.  On June 1, 2017 the lighthouse was declared 'excess property' by the GSA and is currently being auctioned, hopefully the Florida Keys Reef Lights Foundation (www.reeflights.org) may obtain ownership and restore the structure.
  • Old postcard view from the early 1900's showing the dwelling and stairway later destroyed in the 1989 fire.  You can also see the other structures built upon the unstable islet.
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