St. Marks Lighthouse, Florida - Romantic Sentinel on the Gulf

Continuing our look at some of my favorite romantic spots in the South for St. Valentine's Day, one of the most beautiful is the solitary white tower of the St. Marks Lighthouse in St. Marks, Florida.
Located far out in the marshes of the St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge, the St. Marks Lighthouse has guided ships in and out of the port of St. Marks for nearly 180 years. Completed in 1832, the lighthouse has witnessed the changes of ships from sail to steam to modern gas and diesel engines. It has weathered untold hurricanes and even Union attack during the Civil War. And yet it still stands, one of the most beautiful spots on Florida's Gulf Coast.

This is the place that millions of Monarch butterflies gather in the fall for their annual migration across the Gulf of Mexico and the sweeping views of the marshes and the Gulf provide outstanding opportunities for seeing wildlife and birds. It is an amazingly beautiful setting, far removed from the crowded beaches and scenery blocking condos of much of the rest of the Florida coast.

The lighthouse grounds are open to the public daily and there are walking trails, a scenic overlook and displays telling the history of the lighthouse and the significance of the national wildlife refuge. It is a remarkable and often overlooked place.

To learn more, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/stmarkslight.

St. Marks Lighthouse - St. Marks, Florida

One of the most beautiful sights on the Florida Gulf Coast is the stunning white tower of the St. Marks Lighthouse rising above the marshes of the St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge.

Built in 1832 to provide navigational assistance to vessels traveling to and from the ports of St. Marks and Port Leon, the lighthouse has weathered war and hurricanes. It survived a massive hurricane that completely destroyed the town of Port Leon during the 1840s and became a focal point for operations during the Civil War.

Confederate troops darkened the lighthouse in 1861 and soon constructed an artillery battery called Fort Williams near its base. It was realized that the fort was too vulnerable to attack, however, so the guns were removed to St. Marks where Fort Ward was built on top of the ruins of the old Spanish fortress of San Marcos de Apalache.

In March of 1865, the St. Marks Lighthouse was the landing point for a large Union expedition that planned to capture Tallahassee and then push north to Thomasville, Georgia. The campaign was defeated at the Battle of Natural Bridge on March 6, 1865.

Beautifully maintained today, the lighthouse is one of the most popular points of interest at the St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge. Thousands of people tour the grounds each year, many coming during annual autumn migration of Monarch butterflies.

To learn more, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/stmarkslight.