Key West Lighthouse - Key West, Florida

Photo by Lauren Pitone

Built in 1847-1849, the Key West Lighthouse is one of the most elegant such towers that dot the Southern coastline.

Located in the island city of Key West at the southern tip of Florida, the lighthouse replaced an earlier structure that was demolished in the Great Hurricane of 1846. A number of people had taken shelter in the original tower, hoping that its strong brick walls would protect them from the wind and waves of the storm. When it collapsed, fourteen people died, including six children of lighthouse keeper Barbara Mabrity.

Despite the tragedy, Mabrity stayed on to serve as keeper of the new lighthouse when it was completed in 1849. She remained on the job until the Civil War, when at the age of 82 her anti-Union statements caused her to lose her federal job.

The lighthouse was heightened to 86 feet, its present height, during the 1890s and remained in use until it was deactivated in 1969. Now operated by the Key West Art & Historical Society, it has been beautifully restored and is open to the public.

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

Old Baldy Lighthouse - Bald Island, North Carolina

Built in 1817, historic Old Baldy Lighthouse has stood watch over North Carolina's famed Cape Fear region for more than 190 years.

The waters surrounding Bald Head Island are among the most historic in the South. It was here that the "gentleman pirate" Stede Bonnett finally met his match and the notorious Blackbeard once cruised the hidden inlets of the Cape Fear River.

Because the stretch of coast was so treacherous in the days before modern navigational systems, the U.S. Government selected Bald Head Island at the mouth of the Cape Fear to become the site of an important lighthouse. The original structure was endangered by erosion less than ten years after it was completed, so the tower was taken down and the materials used in 1817 to build the Old Baldy Lighthouse that stands today.

There is no way to know how many storms, hurricanes and gales the lighthouse has weathered over the years. It also weathered the storm of the Civil War. The Confederates built Fort Holmes on Bald Head Island as one of a system of forts that helped keep the Cape Fear open to blockade runners until nearly the end of the war.

Old Baldy Lighthouse today is a fascinating historic site that draws visitors from around the world to Bald Head Island. To learn more, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/oldbaldy.

Summer Escapes #6 - St. Simons Lighthouse, Georgia

On a hot summer day on the Georgia coast, few places offer the refreshing breezes and beautiful views of the St. Simons Lighthouse on historic St. Simons Island.

Built during the 1870s to replace earlier structures, the beautiful old lighthouse is now maintained by the Coastal Georgia Historical Society, which has developed a museum in the Keeper's Cottage and allows visitors to climb to the top of the lighthouse for spectacular views of St. Simons Island, Jekyll Island and the other Golden Isles of Georgia.

The tower rises 104 feet above the St. Simons Island waterfront and the spiral stairway leading to the top has 129 steps. The strenuous climb is worth it, though, because the panoramic view from the catwalk at the top is truly astounding.

For lovers of ghost stories, the lighthouse is said to be haunted by the restless ghost of a former keeper. Frederick Osborne was shot and killed by his assistant for allegedly making "improper remarks" to the assistant's wife. Many have claimed to see and hear his ghost inside the tower.

The lighthouse site also figures prominently in the Colonial and Civil War history of the area. British troops built Fort St. Simons on the site during the 1700s and Confederate troops later built a fort on the grounds during the early years of the Civil War.

To learn more and to read the fascinating story of the ghost of the lighthouse, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/gastsimons.

St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge - St. Marks, Florida

One of the most beautiful sections of Florida's coastline is far removed from the white sand beaches and towering condominiums of the popular resorts of the state. The St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge, near St. Marks south of Tallahassee, is a place of vast marshes, wildlife, birds and butterflies.

Open daily, the National Refuge preserves thousands of acres of coastal land that is rich in both cultural and natural history. The St. Marks Lighthouse, located in the heart of the Refuge, dates back to 1832 and a long walking trail leads to the site of the now vanished town of Port Leon, destroyed by hurricane in the 1840s. Union and Confederate troops battle in what is now the St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge during the Natural Bridge expedition in 1865, while Spanish explorers led by Panfilo de Narvaez and Hernando de Soto explored the marshes during the 1500s.

The refuge today is a popular place for exploring the outdoors. There are walking trails, picnic areas, boat landings, observation decks, a visitor center, the lighthouse and more. To learn more, please visit www.exploreosuthernhistory.com/stmarksnwr1.

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.

Southern Ghosts Part One - St. Augustine Lighthouse, Florida

One of Florida's best known ghost stories swirls around the spectacular tower of the St. Augustine Lighthouse in Florida.

For decades people have claimed to hear and see strange things in the tower. Most of the stories revolve around an unfortunate accident that happened while the tower was being built in 1873.

A cable car of sorts was rigged up to carry construction material from the beach up to the lighthouse site and the children of the construction superintendent and their friends liked to ride the cart back and forth. On July 10, 1873, however, something went very wrong and three of the children died in an unfortunate accident.

It is said that their voices, footsteps and forms can be seen inside the tower. The SciFi Channel television show "Ghost Hunters" visited the tower and recorded several unusual "figures" inside the lighthouse, making the St. Augustine Lighthouse one of the South's best known "haunted locations."

You can learn more about the lighthouse by visiting: www.exploresouthernhistory.com/staugustinelighthouse.

St. Augustine, Florida - Part Three

As I mentioned yesterday, the St. Augustine Lighthouse is a fascinating historic landmark.

I mentioned some of the history of the lighthouse and its famed ghost stories, but I also want to take a few minutes to tell you about the fantastic local effort that led to the preservation and restoration of this beautiful landmark.

After the lighthouse was automated, it fell into a severe state of disrepair. The humidity and salt water environment caused extensive damage to the tower and, like all buildings, both it and the adjacent keeper's cottage reached states of sad deterioration.

In 1980, the condition of these buildings sparked a massive effort by the local Junior Service League. Their work has been phenomenal and shows what can be done with local citizens care about their important local landmarks. In 1993, thirteen years after the project to save and restore the lighthouse property began, the tower was again opened to the public.

Today, the lighthouse property is beautiful and popular with visitors and local citizens. Facilities include the restored tower, which can be climbed as long as the weather is good, the restored keeper's cottage, which provides exhibits on the history of the light station at St. Augustine, and a visitor center.

Today, the St. Augustine Lighthouse and Museum focuses on the entire maritime history of St. Augustine. In addition to preserving and operating the lighthouse facilities, it also works to research and preserve shipwrecks and other aspects of local maritime history. The keeper's cottage displays include artifacts, cannon and other items from area wrecks.

To read more about St. Augustine before our next post, please visit http://www.exploresouthernhistory.com/ and look for the St. Augustine heading.

Florida's Haunted Lighthouse

I have always been something of a lighthouse buff, so I have visited quite a few. It seems that almost all have a ghost story or two, but this tower at St. Augustine, Florida may well have more than any other lighthouse in the world.

Built between 1870 and 1874, the St. Augustine Lighthouse replaced earlier watchposts and towers dating back to the late 1500s. St. Augustine, of course, is the nation's oldest city, having been founded in 1565.

Now restored and open to the public, the lighthouse is the focus of a number of fascinating ghost stories. One of the most intriguing revolves around the tragic deaths of three young girls while the tower was being constructed in 1873.

The girls and their friends liked to ride a cable cart that workers used to bring construction materials up to the tower site from the beach. Something went wrong on July 10, 1873 and five children riding the cart were flung into the water. Although a boy and girl were rescued, three other young girls died.

According to local tradition, their ghosts haunt the lighthouse tower and grounds to this day. Eyewitnesses claim to hear the voices of children in the tower and others have claimed to see unusual lights and shadows.

The SciFi Channel television program Ghost Hunters investigated the St. Augustine Lighthouse and recorded a variety of unusual activities there, including strange sounds, lights and a mysterious shadowy figure that appeared to be moving around high up in the tower.

To learn more about the St. Augustine Lighthouse, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/staugustinelighthouse.

The Battle of Natural Bridge, Florida

This week marks the 143rd anniversary of the Battle of Natural Bridge, Florida. Fought along the St. Marks River on March 6, 1865, the battle preserved Tallahassee's status as the only Confederate capital east of the Mississippi not taken by Union troops during the Civil War. It also was the last significant Confederate victory of the war.

We have a complete section on Natural Bridge available at http://www.exploresouthernhistory.com/. Just follow the link to the main page and you will see the special heading there.

In addition to exploring the battlefield itself, the Natural Bridge section includes many photographs of other points of interest associated with the battle, including the beautiful St. Marks Lighthouse, the St. Marks River, the old Spanish fort of San Marcos de Apalache and the Tallahassee-St. Marks "rails to trails" project.

If you are interested in reading in depth about the battle, please consider my book, The Battle of Natural Bridge, Florida, now available through www.barnesandnoble.com, www.amazon.com or for order through most bookstores.

Pensacola Lighthouse - Pensacola, Florida

One of my favorite old Southern lighthouses is the Pensacola Light, seen here. Built in 1858 and first lit in 1859, the lighthouse towers 160 feet above the Florida Gulf Coast and is still in use today.

The Pensacola Lighthouse was a major landmark during the Civil War. Confederate troops darkened the light to stop the Union navy from using it to assist in navigation off the entrance to Pensacola Bay. A large artillery battery was also constructed near the base of the light. During the major bombardments in November of 1861 and January of 1862, Union artillerymen at Fort Pickens targeted the lighthouse and "Lighthouse Battery." Although struck at least 6 times by cannon shot, the tower was not significantly damaged.

To read more about the Pensacola Lighthouse and see more photographs, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com and look for the Pensacola heading.

St. Marks Lighthouse, Florida

A focal point of the St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge in Wakulla County, Florida, the St. Marks Lighthouse has overlooked the waters of Apalachee Bay since 1832.

The tower itself is not open to the public, but visitors are welcome to explore the grounds which provide spectacular views of the lighthouse, the Gulf and the adjacent marshes.

At the time the St. Marks Lighthouse was constructed, St. Marks was an important port city. Florida's first chartered and second constructed railroad connected the port with the new capital city of Tallahassee. Mules originally pulled the cars, but eventually were replaced by locomotives. The lighthouse helped ships navigate their way across the bar and into the narrow channel of the lower St. Marks River.

The tower has survived numerous storms, including an 1840s hurricane that completely destroyed the nearby town of Port Leon. It also survived the Civil War. Confederate forces for a time used the lighthouse as an observation post and constructed a battery called Fort Williams on the grounds. The fort was later abandoned then destroyed by Union forces, who also burned the wooden parts of the lighthouse. No trace of the fort remains today, but the tower was repaired after the war and remains a silent sentinel over the Gulf of Mexico to this day.

In addition to its obvious historic and scenic appeal, the lighthouse is also noted for its annual gatherings of Monarch butterflies, which assemble here to begin their migration across the Gulf of Mexico.

For more information on the St. Marks Lighthouse, please visit our page at:

http://www.exploresouthernhistory.com/stmarkslight.html