Cape Florida Lighthouse
Key Biscayne is Home to this Historic Beacon
The Cape Florida lighthouse is located on the southern tip of Key Biscayne in Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park.
This lighthouse was built in 1825 and at that time was 65 feet tall. After a fire, it was rebuilt in 1847 and in 1855 it was elevated to 95 feet. It is a white conical structure that stands on the edge of the Atlantic coast.
I have photographed many lighthouses and I found this one to be particularly accessible. I was able to capture the lighthouse at various angles and had a clear shot of the lighthouse from the beach. I also was able to go inside the lighthouse and the replica of the keepers house.
I hope you enjoy the photos I have selected for this lens.
photos by Mary Beth Granger
Palm Lined Path
The entrance to the lighthouse is lined with stately palm trees. You feel like you are walking through a tunnel that opens up at the lighthouse. I love the feel of walking down that path, although I wish the palms would have parted enough to show a bit more of the lighthouse for the photo.
Iconic View
I enjoyed visiting the lighthouse and taking over 200 photos. This one taken on the edge of the lighthouse grounds is one of my favorite shots.
Take note of the sky in this photo and the photo below. One was taken from each side of the lighthouse and the direction of the sun really made a difference in the color of the sky between the two photos. I think I like this one the best.
A View from Inside - winding staircase
The inside of the lighthouse base is very narrow, with just enough room for the winding staircase. There are 110 steps to the top where you have a fantastic view of the south Florida coastline.
The lighthouse keeper was charged with keeping the lantern and the lens in working order. In addition he was required to white wash the exterior of the tower periodically and maintain the living quarters, out buildings and gardens.
Several of the lighthouse keepers had families and everyone, including the children, would participate in the lighthouse duties.
Lighthouse Keepers House
Keepers House - two story brick house
The keepers cottage is a two story house that was built in 1825 and then rebuilt in 1847. The top floor had three bedrooms and downstairs were two nice sized rooms, divided by the staircase. Here you can see the living area of the house. There was a kitchen attached to the back of the house.
The information in the keepers house stated that six different families occupied the house from 1825 until 1875 when it was abandoned.
The current house is a replica of the original and was built in 1969. It houses furniture that would have been common for the period and also has informational posters on the walls. The information for this lens was gathered from those posters.
Underground Railroad Part of Cape Florida area - Slaves escape to Bahamas
I found this information about the area to be interesting. There certainly is a lot of history in the area. I always thought of the underground railroad as moving slaves up to the northern states. I never considered that they were also moved out of the country to the Bahamas.
Miami Skyline - from Key Biscayne Causeway
As you leave Key Biscayne you get a wonderful view of the Miami skyline. We were driving down the causeway and I saw a park along side of the road so we pulled over so I could photograph the Miami skyline. It reminds me of television programs from the Miami area where they pan this skyline before the show. It really is a beautiful sight.
