Ponce de Leon Inlet Light
 The Mosquito Inlet Light, later known as the Ponce de Leon Inlet Light | |
 | |
| Location | 4931 South Peninsula Dr Ponce de Leon Inlet Ponce Inlet, Florida South of Daytona |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 29°04′49″N 80°55′41″W / 29.08028°N 80.92806°W |
| Tower | |
| Constructed | 1835  |
| Foundation | brick |
| Construction | brick |
| Automated | 1953 |
| Height | 175 feet (53 m) [1] |
| Shape | conical tower |
| Heritage | National Historic Landmark, National Register of Historic Places listed place |
| Light | |
| First lit | 1887 |
| Deactivated | 1970; reactivated, 1982 |
| Focal height | 53 m (174 ft) |
| Lens | first order Fresnel lens |
| Range | 20 miles |
| Characteristic | fixed light (original) |
The lighthouse at Ponce de Leon Inlet, at 175 feet in height, is the tallest lighthouse in Florida and the one of the tallest in the United States (the Cape Hatteras Light in North Carolina is taller at 207 feet).[2] It is located between St. Augustine Light and Cape Canaveral Light. The Ponce de Leon Inlet Light Station became a National Historic Landmark in 1998.[3]
History
The first real lighthouse for what is now the Ponce de Leon Inlet was erected on the south side of Mosquito Inlet (the present Ponce de León Inlet) in 1835. Unfortunately, the oil for the lamp was never delivered, and soon after the tower was completed a strong storm washed much of the sand from around the base of the tower, weakening it. The Second Seminole War had started, and in December 1835 Seminole Indians attacked the lighthouse, smashing all the glass in the lantern room and setting fire to its wooden stairs. The area was abandoned. The war prevented repairs from being made to the tower, and it collapsed the next year.
There were many shipwrecks along the coast near the Mosquito Inlet, but it was not until 1883 that another effort was made to place a light there. The new lighthouse was designed by Francis Hopkinson Smith, with construction supervised by Orville E. Babcock until his death by drowning in the Mosquito Inlet in 1884. The tower was completed and the lamp lit in 1887.
In 1897 Stephen Crane was en route to cover a brewing revolt against Spanish rule in Cuba, when the ship he was on, the SS Commodore, sank. Crane escaped in a small dinghy with several crewmen. They eventually sighted and steered for the Mosquito Inlet Light. Crane used this experience in his short story "The Open Boat".
The original lamp burned kerosene. In 1909 it was replaced with an incandescent oil vapor lamp. In 1924 a generator was installed to provide electricity in the keepers' dwellings and to pump water, replacing an old windmill pump. The lighthouse beacon was electrified in 1933 with a 500-watt lamp. The first order Fresnel lens was replaced with a third order rotating Fresnel lens at the same time.
In 1927 the name of Mosquito Inlet was changed to Ponce de Leon Inlet. The lighthouse was deactivated by the Coast Guard in 1970, and the Coast Guard established a beacon at New Smyrna Beach. At the urging of concerned citizens, the Town of Ponce Inlet accepted the Light Station property from the Coast Guard in 1972, and the Lighthouse Preservation Association was formed to manage the museum. The lighthouse was listed on the National Register of Historic Places that same year[4]. In 1982 the light was restored to active service, primarily because highrise buildings blocked the Coast Guard's beacon on the other side of the inlet. The Ponce de Leon Inlet Light Station was designated a National Historic Landmark on August 5, 1998[3],[5], one of only ten lighthouses to earn this designation.[6]
Present day
The lighthouse and three keepers' dwellings have been restored, and are open to the public. The original 1867 Barbier et Fenestre first order fixed lens (installed 1887), and 1860 "Henry Lepaute" rotating first order Fresnel lens used at Cape Canaveral Light Station are all on display at the museum. The 1904 Barbier Benard et Turenne rotating third order Fresnel lens has been restored to service in the tower, which operates today as a private aid to navigation and is maintained by the museum staff.
References
- ^ "Inventory of Historic Lighthouses". National Park Service. Retrieved 2007-08-14.
- ^ "Inventory of Historic Lighthouses - Cape Hatteras". National Park Service. Retrieved 2008-02-18.
- ^ a b "Ponce de Leon Inlet Light Station". National Historic Landmark summary listing. National Park Service. Retrieved 2008-06-21.
- ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. 2008-06-21.
- ^ [[[:Template:PDFlink]] "National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination"]. National Park Service. 1997-02.
{{cite web}}: Check|url=value (help); Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ Ponce de Leon Inlet Light Station official site
External links
- National Park Service Inventory of Historic Light Stations - Florida Lighthouses
- U.S. Coast Guard Historic Light Station Information & Photography - Florida
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