Cape Florida Lighthouse

Karen Yvonne Hamilton, May 26, 2019

After climbing the 105 steps of the Jupiter Lighthouse and coming away with very sore legs, I was a bit nervous about tackling the 112 steps of the Cape Florida Lighthouse on Key Biscayne in Dade County, Florida. Not to worry though, it was a piece of cake. I think I might be checking out more lighthouses around the state soon.

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The deck of the watch room, about 2-feet wide, was considerably smaller than Jupiter’s however. Only eight people allowed on deck at a time, which was fine with me considering it was difficult to squeeze past someone standing on the deck.

The climb was worth it to see the views from the top. The skyline of Miami was a site to see to the north, and to the south just magnificent stretches of sea and sand.

Here’s a bit of history:

It was built in 1825 at 65 feet to guide ships from the Florida Reef. Captain John Dubose was the first lighthouse keeper and served for 10 years.

After an 1836 attack by Seminoles, which killed one of the men in charge of the lighthouse and wounded and stranded another man at the top of the tower, the lighthouse was so badly damaged that it was not used for the next 10 years.

In 1846, the lighthouse was rebuilt using the original bricks and relit in 1847. The second keeper, Reason Duke, was the father in law of John Dubose’s son, James. After that, the keepers included Temple Pent (twice), Robert Fletcher, Simeon Frow, and John Frow.

In 1855 the tower was extended to 95 feet. There are 112 stairs leading from the base to the watch room.

The lamp was destroyed by Confederate sympathizers in 1861 and would not be lit again until 1866. Because it was thought the light was not strong enough to warn off ships from the reefs, Fowey Rocks Lighthouse was built seven miles southeast. Cape Florida was shut down in 1878 and not used again until 1978 and remained in use until 1990.

At that time the lantern room was replaced with a steel replica of the original. In 1996 the lighthouse was restored to its 1855 design and lit once again.

The interior cast iron of the lighthouse today are replicas of the original design. The cupola at the lighthouses highest point was not only decorative, it also provided vents for exhaust from the lantern to escape.

It costs $8-$10 per vehicle to enter the park (Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Recreation Area) but you can spend the whole day swimming, fishing, kayaking, hiking, and of course, climbing the lighthouse. Well worth it!