Egmont Key Light, Tampa Bay, St. Petersburg, Florida
EGMONT KEY LIGHT
Location: TAMPA BAY ACROSS FROM FORT DESOTO
Station Established: 1848
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1858
Operational? YES
Automated? YES 1989
Deactivated: N/A
Foundation Materials: STONE
Construction Materials: BRICK
Tower Shape: CONICAL (LANTERN REMOVED)
Markings/Pattern: WHITE
Relationship to Other Structure: SEPARATE
Original Lens: FIRST ORDER BIVALVE, FRESNEL
Historical Information:
- Egmont Key was named after John Perceval, 2nd Earl of Egmont.
- 1848 - Original Tower was built for $7,580. First keeper was Sherrod Edwards. This lighthouse survived a powerful hurricane just 5 months after being officially certified. At some point after that, the tower was struck by lightning and cracks appeared in the structure. Efforts to stabilize the structure in the long run were deemed unsuccessful and the current tower was built in 1858 for $16,000.
- 1861 - Keeper George Rickard fled from advancing Union troops and took the Fresnel lens and as many supplies as he could carry to Tampa. Union forces occupied the light for the duration of the war.
- 1866 - A fourth-order lens was installed.
- 1893 - Third order lens installed with a red sector.
- 1898 - Fort Dade constructed on the island.
- 1944 - Lantern and Fresnel lens removed from lighthouse and replaced by weather-proof aero-beacon.
- 1954 – Keeper’s house demolished and replaced by one-story barracks.
- 1974 - Egmont Key named National Wildlife Refuge.
- 1978 - Placed on Register of National Historic Places.
Keepers:
- Sherrod Edwards
- George Rickard
Researched and written by Marie Vincent, a volunteer through the Chesapeake Chapter of the U.S. Light House Society.