Cape San Blas Light
Cape San Blas, Florida
Cape San Blas Light
Cape San Blas, Florida
The lighthouse pictures above, is the fifth lighthouse to be built on Cape San Blas. The tower height is listed as 90 feet, which gave it a focal plane of 101 feet above sea level. Constructed of cast iron, it is a skeleton frame with a slender cylinder in the center. It is painted white and has a black lantern room. NOTE that the entry point to the tower cylinder is located at the first level above ground in case the land is under water.In 1883, $35,000 was given to the Lighthouse Board to construct a square steel skeleton tower. The ship, carrying the materials for both the San Blas and Sanibel Island towers, wrecked and the lighthouses went to the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico. Most of the materials were salvaged and work was completed in February, 1885. The old third order revolving lens was installed and relit on June 30, 1885. The tower was located 1500 feet from the shoreline and was about one mile from the original site. Within three years, this was down to 200 feet and even this area was estimated to be gone within four months. It was decided to move the light to Blacks Island.
The new site was inside St. Joseph Bay, about two miles from the Gulf and four miles north of the original site. While work was going on at the site, in 1894 a hurricane washed away the keeper's house and sand, leaving the tower standing in water.
It was decided to move the light ashore. After a couple of hurricanes, it was was decided to move, again, the tower to a site 640 yards inland. The tower was disassembled and rebuilt at the new site. It was then relit at its current location on January 2, 1919.
Directions: From Port St. Joe - Two miles south of town on US 98, the highway turns to the left. Stay to the right and go onto Highway 30A, which is straight ahead. About seven miles down the road, Highway 30E turns to the right. Take it past test area 3D and the road will turn to the right. Instead of turning, go straight. The lighthouse is located, on the right, a short distance down the road.
