Fort McRae Light (Rear Range Beacon)

Fort McRae Light (Rear Range Beacon), Fort McRae Pensacola Bay, Florida

FORT MCRAE RANGE LIGHTS (PENSACOLA)

Location: EAST END OF PERDIDO KEY, GULF OF MEXICO, FLORIDA PANHANDLE NEAR PENSACOLA FLORIDA
          Front Range Light: SOUTHWESTERLY FROM THE RUINS OF FORT McREE, ABOUT 800 FEET BACK FROM THE BEACH, ON THE WESTERLY SIDE OF THE ENTRANCE TO PENSACOLA BAY (30° 19' 11" N s 87° 19' 18" W)
          Rear Range Light: IN BIG LAGOON, 850 FEET NW. BY W. 7/8 W. IN REAR OF THE PRECEDING (30° 19' 14" N x 87°  18' 08" W)
Station Established: 1859 
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1888
Operational? NO 
Automated? N/A 
Deactivated: 1906
Foundation Materials: 
Construction Materials: 
Tower Shape: SQUARE PYRAMIDAL FRAMEWORK WITH TUBULAR LANTERN
Markings/Pattern: FRONT RANGE-WHITE, REAR RANGE RED
Relationship to Other Structure: 
Original Lens: 

Historical Information:

• The first set of Fort McRee Range Lights was destroyed during the Civil War. 
• In 1866 the towers were rebuilt. They were destroyed in a hurricane soon after.
• A third set of towers were erected in 1888. In 1906 the Fort McRee Range was replaced by the Fort McRee Cutoff Range.
• The towers have been destroyed.

Researched and written by Melissa Buckler, a volunteer through the Chesapeake Chapter of the U.S. Lighthouse Society.