The Edmont Key Lighthouse is located on a barrier island at the mouth of Tampa Bay, FL. This solitary brick structure is the second of two sentinels which have guarded this important stretch of coast since the early 1840's. The first was built of brick in 1848 at a height of 40-feet. Edgmont Key Light was the only beacon between Key West and St Marks, a distance of 400 miles. Hungry waves undermined that tower's foundation and the erosion continued . It was decided to construct this taller, stronger brick tower at this location approximately 90-feet from where the original tower stood. It was finished in 1857 and stood 87-foot high.
In 1974, Edgmont Key was declared a National Wildlife Refuge. The Coast Guard automated the lighthouse in 1989, and reassigned their personnel elsewhere. At the time of my visit here in 2000, the Florida Park Service co-managed the island.
I took this picture from the grounds of Fort DeSoto, Mullet Key, FL, and as of that time this was an active light.
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