Navassa Island Light, Maritime navigation point in Caribbean Sea, Haiti.
Navassa Island Light is a 162-foot (49 m) lighthouse built in 1917 on Navassa Island, at the south end of the Windward Passage between Cuba and Haiti. Its tower stands on ground 395 feet (120 m) above sea level, and the keepers' house beside it is roofless and in ruins.
The light was built in 1917 to serve growing maritime traffic in Caribbean waters. It remained operational until its deactivation in 1996.
The lighthouse represents an era of manual maritime navigation systems, preceding modern technological developments like GPS for ship guidance.
The island sits within the Navassa Island National Wildlife Refuge and is closed to regular visitors. Access requires special permits from the relevant authorities.
The tower stands 162 feet (49 m) tall, while its focal plane reaches 395 feet (120 m) above sea level, the fourth-highest focal plane of any U.S. light. The two figures are often confused: the tower itself is not the twelfth tallest, but the light ranks twelfth by tower height among U.S. lights. Congress appropriated $125,000 in 1913 for its construction.
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