St. Joseph Point Light
Encyclopedia
The St. Joseph Point Light was a lighthouse on the mainland north of present-day Port St. Joe, Florida
, across the entrance to St. Joseph Bay
from St. Joseph Point. St. Joseph Bay is enclosed by St. Joseph Peninsula
, which runs west some three miles (5 km) from the mainland to Cape San Blas
, and then northerly 15 miles (24.1 km) to St. Joseph Point. An earlier light in the area was the St. Joseph Bay Light.
, and the town of St. Joseph
was founded in its shores in 1836. Unfortunately for the town, no rivers flow into St. Joseph Bay. In an attempt to capture some of the freight that shipped out of Apalachicola
, two railroads were constructed from St. Joseph to the Apalachicola River
, including the Lake Wimico and St. Joseph Canal and Railroad
.
Also in 1836, the Legislative Council of the Territory of Florida petitioned Congress
for a lighthouse to mark the entrance to St. Joseph Bay. The St. Joseph Bay lighthouse was approved, and was erected on St. Joseph Point, at the end the St. Joseph Peninsula, entering service in early 1839. The lighthouse was a 55 feet (16.8 m) white conical brick tower, with 15 lamps with 16 inches (406.4 mm) reflectors at a height of 50 feet (15.2 m).
In the meantime the town of St. Joseph had boomed, and hosted the 1838 convention to draft Florida's first constitution. However, in 1841 a ship brought yellow fever
to St. Joseph. The disease killed many, and caused others to flee from the town. In 1843 a hurricane with a large storm surge
destroyed the town. The site was abandoned for more than 50 years. In the 20th century the city of Port St. Joe was established about two miles (3 km) north of the site of old St. Joseph.
A petition was submitted in 1842 to close the St. Joseph Bay lighthouse, but it remained in service until 1847, when the lighthouse lantern and other equipment were moved to the new Cape San Blas lighthouse. The old St. Joseph Bay lighthouse was washed away in 1851.
. (Note that the St. Joseph Bay Light was on St. Joseph Point, while the St. Joseph Point Light is on the mainland.)
The new light station was completed in 1902. The light station at Beacon Hill consisted of two lights. The Rear Range Light was a square wooden house with a hip roof and the lantern at the peak of the roof. The Front Range Light was a wooden pyramidal tower 600 feet (182.9 m) seaward of the Rear Range Light. The house was raised above the ground, and the area under the house had work and storage rooms. The under part was later completely enclosed and used as barracks for troops who patrolled the shore in the area during World War II
. The light station was very isolated in the early years, as the nearest town was 14 miles (22.5 km) away.
In 1960 the light was moved to a skeletal steel tower. The new light has a lamp with a 300 mm lens at a height of 78 feet (23.8 m). The old lighthouse was sold for $300 and moved three miles (5 km) to a farm, where it was used first as a residence and then as a barn. In 1978 the house changed hands and was moved to Simmons Bayou, where it was restored and is now used as a private residence.
Port St. Joe, Florida
Port St. Joe is a city located at the intersection of U.S. Highway 98 and State Road 71 in Gulf County, Florida, United States. As of 2007, the population estimated by the U.S. Census Bureau is 3,579. The population was 3,644 as of the 2000 census. Port St. Joe became the county seat of Gulf County...
, across the entrance to St. Joseph Bay
St. Joseph Bay
St. Joseph Bay is a bay on the Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida, located in Gulf County between Apalachicola and Panama City. Port St. Joe is located on St. Joseph Bay....
from St. Joseph Point. St. Joseph Bay is enclosed by St. Joseph Peninsula
St. Joseph Peninsula
The St. Joseph Peninsula is located in Gulf County, Florida in the panhandle of Florida, at coordinates . It is an 15-mile long spit, extending northward from Cape San Blas between the Gulf of Mexico to the west and Saint Joseph Bay to the east. It is 6 miles west of Port St. Joe at its closest...
, which runs west some three miles (5 km) from the mainland to Cape San Blas
Cape San Blas
Cape San Blas is part of a peninsula in Gulf County, Florida extending westward from the mainland of Florida, separating St. Joseph Bay to the north from the Gulf Of Mexico to the south. The St. Joseph Peninsula extends northward from the west end of Cape San Blas. It is approximately 10 miles...
, and then northerly 15 miles (24.1 km) to St. Joseph Point. An earlier light in the area was the St. Joseph Bay Light.
St. Joseph Bay Light
St. Joseph Bay is one of the best natural harbors on the Gulf Coast of the United StatesGulf Coast of the United States
The Gulf Coast of the United States, sometimes referred to as the Gulf South, South Coast, or 3rd Coast, comprises the coasts of American states that are on the Gulf of Mexico, which includes Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida and are known as the Gulf States...
, and the town of St. Joseph
St. Joseph, Florida
St. Joseph, Florida, was a boomtown that briefly became the largest community in Florida, before being destroyed only eight years after it was founded. St. Joseph was founded in 1835 on the shores of St. Joseph Bay, one of the finest natural harbors on the Gulf Coast of the United States. The...
was founded in its shores in 1836. Unfortunately for the town, no rivers flow into St. Joseph Bay. In an attempt to capture some of the freight that shipped out of Apalachicola
Apalachicola, Florida
Apalachicola is a city in Franklin County, Florida, on US 98 about southwest of Tallahassee. The population was 2,334 at the 2000 census. The 2005 census estimated the city's population at 2,340...
, two railroads were constructed from St. Joseph to the Apalachicola River
Apalachicola River
The Apalachicola River is a river, approximately 112 mi long in the State of Florida. This river's large watershed, known as the ACF River Basin for short, drains an area of approximately into the Gulf of Mexico. The distance to its farthest headstream in northeast Georgia is approximately 500...
, including the Lake Wimico and St. Joseph Canal and Railroad
Lake Wimico and St. Joseph Canal and Railroad
The Lake Wimico and St. Joseph Canal and Railroad was the first steam railroad in Florida and one of the first in the U.S., opening in 1836. It was soon abandoned, and is now mostly a state highway.-History:...
.
Also in 1836, the Legislative Council of the Territory of Florida petitioned Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
for a lighthouse to mark the entrance to St. Joseph Bay. The St. Joseph Bay lighthouse was approved, and was erected on St. Joseph Point, at the end the St. Joseph Peninsula, entering service in early 1839. The lighthouse was a 55 feet (16.8 m) white conical brick tower, with 15 lamps with 16 inches (406.4 mm) reflectors at a height of 50 feet (15.2 m).
In the meantime the town of St. Joseph had boomed, and hosted the 1838 convention to draft Florida's first constitution. However, in 1841 a ship brought yellow fever
Yellow fever
Yellow fever is an acute viral hemorrhagic disease. The virus is a 40 to 50 nm enveloped RNA virus with positive sense of the Flaviviridae family....
to St. Joseph. The disease killed many, and caused others to flee from the town. In 1843 a hurricane with a large storm surge
Storm surge
A storm surge is an offshore rise of water associated with a low pressure weather system, typically tropical cyclones and strong extratropical cyclones. Storm surges are caused primarily by high winds pushing on the ocean's surface. The wind causes the water to pile up higher than the ordinary sea...
destroyed the town. The site was abandoned for more than 50 years. In the 20th century the city of Port St. Joe was established about two miles (3 km) north of the site of old St. Joseph.
A petition was submitted in 1842 to close the St. Joseph Bay lighthouse, but it remained in service until 1847, when the lighthouse lantern and other equipment were moved to the new Cape San Blas lighthouse. The old St. Joseph Bay lighthouse was washed away in 1851.
St. Joseph Point (Beacon Hill) Light
Increasing activity in St. Joseph Bay, and the dangerous waters around St. Joseph Peninsula, led to calls for reactivation of a light for the entrance to St. Joseph Bay. After several recommendations from the Lighthouse Board, Congress approved a new lighthouse in 1898. The Lighthouse Board decided to place the new light at Beacon Hill on the mainland. The official name for the new light was St. Joseph Light Range Station. It was also known as the Beacon Hill Light, and is now called the St. Joseph Point Light by the Coast GuardUnited States Coast Guard
The United States Coast Guard is a branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven U.S. uniformed services. The Coast Guard is a maritime, military, multi-mission service unique among the military branches for having a maritime law enforcement mission and a federal regulatory agency...
. (Note that the St. Joseph Bay Light was on St. Joseph Point, while the St. Joseph Point Light is on the mainland.)
The new light station was completed in 1902. The light station at Beacon Hill consisted of two lights. The Rear Range Light was a square wooden house with a hip roof and the lantern at the peak of the roof. The Front Range Light was a wooden pyramidal tower 600 feet (182.9 m) seaward of the Rear Range Light. The house was raised above the ground, and the area under the house had work and storage rooms. The under part was later completely enclosed and used as barracks for troops who patrolled the shore in the area during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. The light station was very isolated in the early years, as the nearest town was 14 miles (22.5 km) away.
In 1960 the light was moved to a skeletal steel tower. The new light has a lamp with a 300 mm lens at a height of 78 feet (23.8 m). The old lighthouse was sold for $300 and moved three miles (5 km) to a farm, where it was used first as a residence and then as a barn. In 1978 the house changed hands and was moved to Simmons Bayou, where it was restored and is now used as a private residence.