Florida Keys Reef Lights

Today is World Ocean Day. The theme this year is 'Strong Marine Protected Areas for Our Blue Planet'. Did you know that all six of the reef lights, and four of the unmanned reef lights, fall within protected areas of the Florida Keys?
Five of the six reef lights, and three of the unmanned lights, fall within the boundary of the NOAA Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary and one reef light, and one unmanned light, falls within the Biscayne National Park Boundary.

Even royalty loves a lighthouse! On May 18, 1991, Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip visited the Fort Jefferson National Monument, now Dry Tortugas National Park, where they were photographed in front of the Tortugas Harbor (Garden Key) Lighthouse. (Image by Andy Newman, Florida Keys News Bureau)

In May 1865 the Confederate ironclad ram Stonewall was in Havana Harbor and thought to be taking on ammunition before heading north. Key West was put on alert and the Sand Key and Key West lighthouses were not lit on at least the 13th. The worry turned out to be unfounded since the captain of the Stonewall, Thomas Jefferson Page, was informed of the cessation of hostilities upon reaching port.

May is Historic Preservation Month! Help preserve Florida's lighthouses by purchasing a Florida Lighthouse Association 'VISIT OUR LIGHTS' license plate. Proceeds go to the restoration and preservation of the state's historic lighthouses.
Find out how at https://www.floridalighthouses.org/get-the-tag/

Every generation assumes someone else will save the important things. Until one day, there's an empty space where history used to stand.

The Visit Our Lights plate is a simple way to make sure that's not Florida lighthouses' story. Get yours at the link in our comments.

📸 American Shoal Lighthouse, FL
Florida Keys Reef Lights

Happy birthday to Augustin Fresnel! Born May 10, 1788, the French engineer and physicist revolutionized lighthouses with his improvement on the lens.

Today marks the anniversary of the death of Jefferson Beale Browne in 1937. Born on June 6th, 1857 in Key West, Mr. Browne got his first job after graduating high school as the assistant lighthouse keeper at Fowey Rocks. While stationed there, 1878 to 1879, Mr. Browne used the down time to study the law. He eventually received a degree from the University of Iowa. Browne was elected to the Florida Supreme Court in 1916, served from January 2, 1917 to January 1923 as Chief Justice and from January 1923 to May 20, 1925 as an Associate Justice. He also wrote a history of Key West, 'Key West: The Old and the New' which was published in 1912.
Jefferson Browne died on May 4, 1937 and is buried in the Key West Cemetery, Lot 170, Tract 7.

May is National Preservation Month and what better group to highlight then Save Alligator Lighthouse! It is great to see that they are actively working to preserve Alligator Reef Light. But it takes funds!
You can learn more about their mission and contribute at: https://www.savealligatorlighthouse.org/?fbclid=IwY2xjawRi4i5leHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETF1RG0yMnJuekhUZWlmcElCc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHpSxgZwVwyIfFhnkPmxFW-TwIJMbDX9cf2-xG4QKIJYReVKrIDJ5-Sx0OhA8_aem_m7HF4FABf5l_YLI1iG-WOw

She may be pretty from afar, but she needs some help! Here we have WJR Engineering performing a metallurgy study on her rusting iron framework

Great photo of the Garden Key Light in the Dry Tortugas National Park. Help protect these treasures by joining the Florida Lighthouse Association!
Click on the link for more information about the great work they do: https://floridalighthouses.wildapricot.org/

Florida's 29 remaining lighthouses are pieces of our maritime story still standing in the salt air, reminding us where we’ve been and what’s worth preserving.

That’s why the Florida Lighthouse Association exists: to help support the preservation, restoration, and sharing of Florida’s historic lights, so future generations can climb the stairs, hear the stories, and feel that little spark of wonder too.

Follow along as we celebrate the lights, stories, and people keeping Florida’s lighthouse heritage alive!

📸 Garden Key Lighthouse, Florida Dry Tortugas National Park