Egmont Key Lighthouse

Violent History! What an intriguing and violent history surrounds the development of the lighthouses on Egmont Key. I let the cat out of the bag. There were two lighthouses during the history of the island. In 1763 Egmont Key was named in honor of John Perceval, the second Earl of Egmont and member of the Irish house of commons. I don't know if John visited the island, or perhaps a friend of his traveling around Florida, left him a legacy by naming the island from Perceval Irish notoriety.

There were many ships sailing in Tampa Bay and around the island in the 1830's which presented a problem to the owners of the ships. Lo and behold, one after another of the captains grounded their ships on the numerous sand bars surrounding the island. It developed into such a pileup of ships that on March 3rd, 1847, congress authorized the building of a lighthouse to warn all who plied the coastal waters, "beware of the sand bars."

In May of 1848, a lighthouse was completed at the astronomical cost of $7,050. Also, a residence was built for the keeper and his family; everything began to look settled and peaceful.

The shortest life of a lighthouse was just about to occur. The lighthouse keeper had settled in and was establishing a routine for the operation and maintenance of the property. Burning kerosine lanterns, with two stationary mirrors for reflection (two red and a clear one in the middle) were the means for illumination. Visibility was perhaps 2 or 3 miles. In September, 1848, on the 23rd through the 25th days, a hurricane struck. For their own safety the keeper and family rode out the storm by taking shelter in the lighthouse. It was a violent, angry storm with a black foreboding sky with clouds and winds creating tides 15 feet over normal that smashed over the island. The damage to the lighthouse and keeper's residence severely restricted the operation of the lighthouse.

The year of 1852 was not kind to the lighthouse either. During a very violent storm, additional damage to the lighthouse occurred. Congress, aware that a lighthouse was necessary to protect the shipping into Tampa bay and other ships plying the coastline, appropriated funds to rebuild the lighthouse and keeper's residence.

A nice gesture by Congress but:::::::::::::
It was six years before the new 85 ft. tall lighthouse was finished (1858). Located on the north end of the island, lighting was superior to the old mirror type for reflection. A new lens called a FRESNEL lens was installed. This was a thin optical lens of many concentric rings composed of prisms that produced brighter light reflections and became popular with many lighthouse keepers.

The civil war had started and the confederate troops occupied the island, but realized they could not hold it, due to the Union Navel power. They damaged the light, took the Fresnel Lens from the tower, and evacuated the island sometime during the year 1860. It almost looks like the lighthouse was plagued by one disaster after another to prevent serving its time and service.

In 1864 Union troops searched Tampa for the Fresnel lens. Somebody may still have it because it was never found. After lollygagging around for two years, the lighthouse was finally relit for manual operation in 1866. From then to 1937, a lighthouse keeper and his family lived on the island, maintaining the tower and light until it was automated and transferred to the US Coast Guard in 1947 and is still in operation.