Pay homage to our beacons of the sea
The goal is preservation of historic Keys lighthouses
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Photo by LEEHMAN WEXLIN
Sombrero Light, constructed in 1858 off Marathon, is easily accessible by boat.
Lighthouses are beacons on the sea and shore that help keep mariners safe.
The Keys have their share, from the land-based Key West Lighthouse to the Carysfort Reef light off Key Largo. They are celebrated through such things as lighthouse-themed mailboxes to garden sculptures.
Simply, lighthouses are as much a part of our history as the sea itself; and the men who manned them before they were automated were strong as steel.
The Florida Keys Reef Lights Foundation strives to preserve the Sombrero, Fowey Rocks, Carysfort, Alligator, American Shoal and Sand Key lighthouses off the Keys. Each of the lighthouses remains active and is owned by the U.S. Coast Guard.
-- Fowey Rocks Light: The 125-foot Fowey Rocks Light was built in 1877 and first lighted in 1878. Located in Biscayne Bay, the light can be seen from land on a clear day from atop the Cape Florida Lighthouse seven miles away.
-- Carysfort Reef Light: The dark red, octagonal Carysfort Reef Light is located off Key Largo. Standing 112 feet, it was built in 1852 and is the oldest iron screw-pile lighthouse still functioning in the U.S. Carysfort cannot be seen from land, but boats can be chartered out of Key Largo or John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park.
-- Alligator Reef Light: The Alligator Reef Light can be viewed from Islamorada at the south end of Upper Matecumbe Key. The light stands 150 feet tall and is white, with a black pile foundation.
-- Sombrero Key Light: The Sombrero Light was built in 1858 and stands 156 feet tall. The light is approachable by boat from Marathon and is a popular snorkeling destination. The light can easily be seen from land at Sombrero Beach and even while driving the Seven Mile Bridge.
-- American Shoal Light: The 124-foot American Shoal Light was constructed in 1879 and first lighted in 1880. The light is approachable by boat from Sugarloaf Key and can be seen from shore.
-- Sand Key Light: Built in 1852 and lighted in 1853, the 132-foot Sand Key Light is approachable by boat from Key West. It's the only light in the Keys to have been deactivated for restoration, from 1989 to 1996.
Reef Lights Foundation President Eric Martin said his goal is to increase membership in the foundation, whose mission is to save and preserve the six lighthouses.
"The board kept meeting and they had good ideas," Martin said. "They were all kind of busy and some had moved out of the Keys, but the organization has continued to exist."
It was created in 2001 by Tom Taylor, Jerry Wilkinson, Brenda Altmeier, Jim Clupper, Dan Gallagher, Gail Swanson, Hibbard Casselberry and Jack Burrie.
To find out more about the group and how to join, go to www.reeflights.org. The Web site contains information on the organization, maps and directions to each lighthouse, as well as photographs of them from as far back as the 1950s.
Martin can be reached at (407) 658-0046 or by e-mail at ericlighthouse@yahoo.com.
