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      • Browns Head Lighthouse, Vinalhaven, Maine
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      • Goose Rocks Lighthouse, Maine
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      • Owls Head Lighthouse, Maine
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      • Popham Beach Life Saving Station
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      • Portland Head Lighthouse, Maine
      • Prospect Harbor Lighthouse, Maine
      • Pumpkin Island Lighthouse, Maine
      • Ram Island Ledge Light, Maine
      • Ram Island Lighthouse, Maine
      • Robinson Point Lighthouse on Isle Au Haut, Maine
      • Rockland Breakwater Lighthouse, Maine
      • Rockland Harbor Southwest Light, Maine
      • Saddleback Ledge Light, Maine
      • Seguin Island Lighthouse, Maine
      • Southern Island Light, Maine
      • Spring Point Ledge Lighthouse, Maine
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      • Two Bush Island Lighthouse, Maine
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      • Lynde Point Lighthouse, Connecticut
      • Morgan Point Lighthouse, Connectitcut
      • Mystic Seaport Lighthouse, Connecticut
      • New London Harbor Lighthouse, Connecticut
      • New London Ledge Lighthouse, Connecticut
      • Penfield Reef Lighthouse
      • Race Rock Lighthouse, Connecticut
      • Saybrook Breakwater Lighthouse, Connecticut
      • Sheffield Island Lighthouse, Connecticut
      • Stamford Harbor Lighthouse
      • Stonington Harbor Lighthouse, Connecticut
      • Stratford Point Lighthouse, Connecticut
      • Stratford Shoal Lighthouse
      • Tongue Point Lighthouse
    • Delaware Lighthouses
      • Harbor of Refuge Light, Delaware
      • Delaware Breakwater Lighthouse, Delaware
      • Fenwick Island Lighthouse
      • Liston Rear Range Light
      • Overfalls Lightship, Delaware
      • Mispillion Lighthouse, Delaware
      • Reedy Island Rear Range Light
      • Marcus Hook Rear Range Light
    • Florida Lighthouses
      • Amelia Island Lighthouse, Florida
      • American Shoal Lighthouse, Florida
      • Cape Canaveral Light, Florida
      • Cape Florida Lighthouse, Florida
      • Crooked River Lighthouse
      • Faro Blanco Light, Florida
      • Garden Key Lighthouse, Florida
      • Gasparilla Island Lights, Florida
      • Hillsboro Inlet Lighthouse, Florida
      • Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse
      • Key West Lighthouse, Florida
      • Loggerhead Key Lighthouse, Florida
      • Pensacola Lighthouse
      • Ponce Inlet Lighthouse, Florida
      • Sand Key Lighthouse, Florida
      • Sanibel Island Lighthouse, Florida
      • St. Augustine Lighthouse, Florida
      • St. John's River Lighthouse, Florida
      • St. Marks Lighthouse, Florida
      • Sombrero Key Lighthouse
    • Georgia Lighthouses
      • St. Simons Island Lighthouse, Georgia
      • Tybee Island Lighthouse, Georgia
    • Hawai'i Lighthouses
      • Diamond Head Lighthouse, O'ahu, Hawai'i
      • Kilauea Point Lighthouse, Kaua'i, Hawai'i
      • Lahaina Harbor Lighthouse, Mau'i, Hawai'i
      • Makapu'u Light, Oahu, Hawai'i
      • Moloka'i Lighthouse, Moloka'i, Hawai'i
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      • Point Lookout Lighthouse, Maryland
      • Sandy Point Light, Maryland
      • Seven Foot Knoll Lighthouse, Maryland
      • Thomas Point Shoal Lighthouse, Maryland
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    • Massachusetts Lighthouses
      • Annisquam Lighthouse, Massachusetts
      • Baker's Island Lighthouse, Massachusetts
      • Bass River Lighthouse, Massachusetts
      • Bird Island Lighthouse, Massachusetts
      • Brant Point Lighthouse, Nantucket
      • Butler Flats Lighthouse, Massachusetts
      • Boston Lighthouse, Massachusetts
      • Cape Poge Lighthouse, Massachusetts
      • Chatham Lighthouse, Massachusetts
      • Clark's Point Lighthouse, Massachusetts
      • Cleveland Ledge Lighthouse, Massachusetts
      • Deer Island Light, Massachusetts
      • Derby Wharf Light, Massachusetts
      • Dog Bar Breakwater Lighthouse, Massachusetts
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      • East Chop Lighthouse, Massachusetts
      • Eastern Point Lighthouse, Massachusetts
      • Edgartown Harbor Lighthouse, Massachusetts
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      • Graves Light, Massachusetts
      • Great Point Lighthouse, Nantucket, Massachusetts
      • Highland Lighthouse, Cape Cod, Massachusetts
      • Hospital Point Lighthouse, Massachusetts
      • Lewis Bay Lighthouse, Massachusetts
      • Marblehead Lighthouse, Massachusetts
      • Mayo's Beach Lighthouse
      • Minots Ledge Lighthouse, Massachusetts
      • Monomoy Point Lighthouse, Massachusetts
      • Nantucket Lightship, Massachusetts
      • Nauset Lighthouse, Massachusetts
      • Ned's Point Lighthouse, Massachusetts
      • Newburyport Harbor Range Lights, Massachusetts
      • Nobska Point Lighthouse, Massachusetts
      • Palmer Island Lighthouse, Massachusetts
      • Plum Island Lighthouse, Massachusetts
      • Plymouth Lighthouse, Massachusetts
      • Race Point Lighthouse, Cape Cod Massachusetts
      • Sandy Neck Lighthouse
      • Sankaty Head Lighthouse
      • Scituate Lighthouse, Massachusetts
      • Stage Harbor Lighthouse, Massachusetts
      • Straitsmouth Island Lighthouse, Massachusetts
      • Tarpaulin Cove Lighthouse, Massachusetts
      • Ten Pound Island Lighthouse, Massachusetts
      • Thacher Island Twin Lights, Massachusetts
      • Three Sisters of Nauset Lighthouses, Massachusetts
      • West Chop Lighthouse, Massachusetts
      • Wings Neck Lighthouse, Massachusetts
      • Winter Island Lighthouse
      • Brant Point Lighthouse, Nantucket MA
    • New Hampshire Lighthouses
      • Isles of Shoals Light, New Hampshire
      • Portsmouth Harbor Light, New Hampshire
    • New Jersey Lighthouses
      • Absecon Lighthouse, New Jersey
      • Barnegat Lighthouse, New Jersey
      • Brandywine Shoal Light, New Jersey
      • Cape May Lighthouse, New Jersey
      • Chapel Hill Rear Range Light, New Jersey
      • Conover Beacon Front Range Light, New Jersey
      • East Point Lighthouse, New Jersey
      • Finns Point Lighthouse
      • Fourteen Foot Bank Light, New Jersey
      • Hereford Inlet Lighthouse, North Wildwood, New Jersey
      • Miah Maull Shoal Light, New Jersey
      • Sandy Hook Lighthouse, New Jersey
      • Sea Girt Lighthouse, New Jersey
      • Ship John Shoal Light, New Jersey
      • Twin Lights of Navesink, New Jersey
      • Tinicum Rear Range Lighthouse, New Jersey
    • New York Lighthouses
      • Ambrose Lightship, New York
      • Big Sodus Light, New York
      • Blackswell Island Light, New York
      • Buffalo Main Lighthouse, New York
      • Cape Vincent Breakwater Lighthouse, New York
      • Clayton Memorial Lighthouse, New Yrok
      • Coney Island Lighthouse, New York
      • Crossover Island Lighthouse, New York
      • Dunkirk Light, New York
      • Esopus Meadows Lighthouse, New York
      • Execution Rocks Lighthouse, New York
      • Fire Island Lighthouse, New York
      • Horton Point Light, New York
      • Montauk Point Lighthouse, New York
      • Ogdensburg Harbor Lighthouse, New York
      • Old Field Point Lighthouse, New York
      • Rock Island Lighthouse, New York
      • Rondout Creek Lighthouse, New York
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      • Sister Islands Lighthouse, New York
      • Staten Island Light, New York
      • Stepping Stones Lighthouse
      • Stony Point Lighthouse, New York
      • Sunken Rock Lighthouse, New York
      • Tarrytown Lighthouse, New York
      • Tibbetts Point Lighthouse, New York
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      • Bodie Island Light, North Carolina
      • Ocracoke Light, North Carolina
      • Cape Hatteras Light, North Carolina
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      • Fairport Harbor Light, Ohio
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      • Cape Meares Light, Oregon
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St. Marks Lighthouse, Florida

When Florida was acquired as part of the United States in 1821, one of the first priorities of the territorial government was the lighting of the coast in order to promote business. In 1827 the territorial legislature sent a request to Congress to establish a lighthouse at the entrance to the St. Marks River which was used to transport goods for the Tallahassee area and southern counties of Georgia to the Gulf of Mexico.
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In May 1828 Congress made an appropriation of $6,000 for the construction of a lighthouse at St. Marks. The construction site chosen by the Pensacola Collector of Customs was Oscilla Point at the entrance to the river. The point had “an extensive & solid Bed of Lime stone Rock” on which to build and the property was owned by the Federal government.
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In May 1828 Congress made an appropriation of $6,000 for the construction of a lighthouse at St. Marks. The construction site chosen by the Pensacola Collector of Customs was Oscilla Point at the entrance to the river. The point had “an extensive & solid Bed of Lime stone Rock” on which to build and the property was owned by the Federal government.

MarksLighthouse007

  • In May 1828 Congress made an appropriation of $6,000 for the construction of a lighthouse at St. Marks. The construction site chosen by the Pensacola Collector of Customs was Oscilla Point at the entrance to the river. The point had “an extensive & solid Bed of Lime stone Rock” on which to build and the property was owned by the Federal government.
  • The site chosen for the St. Marks Lighthouse was on low lying land and somewhat obscured, and authorities realized the $6,000 appropriated would not be sufficient to build a tall tower.  An additional appropriation of $8,000 was made in 1829 and a contract to build the lighthouse was entered into with Winslow Lewis later that year.
  • A 12 foot deep foundation of limestone blocks taken from the ruins of the Spanish Fort San Marcos de Apalache was completed by the end of 1829. A 65 foot brick tower was built upon this foundation. When the tower was inspected by the Collector of Customs for St. Marks it was found to have hollow walls and the builders were charged with fraud.
  • ** A local gator waiting for a meal at the Wildlife Refuge **<br />
A new mason, Calvin Knowlton, was brought in to rebuild the tower according to the contract specifications.  The second tower was completed and accepted by the government in 1831.
  • Samuel Crosby had been appointed Keeper of the St. Marks Light in January 1830. When the tower was finally completed in 1831 he climbed to the lantern and lit the 15 fixed whale oil lamps with 14 inch reflectors.
  • By June 1831 cracks began to appear in the tower due to settling of the foundation.  This was addressed by placing iron hoops around the tower.  As commerce in the area grew, the first railroad in Florida between St. Marks and Tallahassee was completed in 1835.
  • As time passed, the foundation continued to deteriorate putting the tower in danger of collapse.  The government held Winslow Lewis responsible and had him dismantle the tower and rebuild it in a new location on a foundation of pilings in 1842.
  • In September 1843 a hurricane struck the St. Marks area completely devastating the town while killing 15 people.  Only the lighthouse and the damaged Keepers dwelling remained standing.  Another hurricane hit the area in 1851 and destroyed the old Spanish fort.  People sought refuge in the tower during the storm.
  • With the outbreak of the Civil War the Confederates removed the lighting apparatus and safely hid it away.  In 1865 retreating Confederate soldiers attempted to blow up the lighthouse and blasted an 8 foot hole around ⅓ of the tower which blew out the lantern panes.  But the tower remained standing and was repaired and put back into service in January 1867.
  • In 1883 modifications to the tower increased its height by 10 feet to its present height of 82 feet and a new lantern was installed.
  • Charles Fine served as Keeper from 1892 thru 1904 and his daughter Sarah married John Gresham who became Keeper in 1916.  During his tenure the St. Marks Migratory Bird Refuge was created in 1931 and a road was built to the lighthouse.  In 1957 Gresham’s son Alton succeeded him as Keeper and served until automation of the light in 1960.  In 1974 the St. Marks Lighthouse was placed on the National Register of Historic Places.  The Fresnel lens was replaced with a modern optic in 2000.  In 2010 ownership was transferred from the Coast Guard to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
  • St Marks Lighthouse008
  • St Marks Lighthouse008
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