Morant Point Lighthouse, Cast iron lighthouse at Morant Point, Saint Thomas Parish, Jamaica
Morant Point Lighthouse is a 30 m (100 ft) cast-iron tube cast in London in 1841, with a diameter of 5 m (18 ft) at the base and 3 m (11 ft) at the cap. It has a lantern and gallery and is painted with red and white horizontal bands. A semicircular masonry wall protects the seaward side of its base from surf during hurricanes.
Built in 1841, this structure was the first cast iron lighthouse of its kind in the Western Hemisphere. It was designed by Alexander Gordon and cast in a London foundry.
The lighthouse was erected in 1841 by Kru men from Africa, among the free Africans brought to Jamaica after emancipation. The tower was cast in London and shipped out in sections, then assembled at Morant Point. The Jamaica National Heritage Trust lists it as a historic monument of considerable interest to historians of industrial technology.
This working navigation aid is operated by Jamaica's Port Authority and functions with a specific light signal pattern. A large semicircular masonry wall protects the foundation from hurricane and wave damage.
The light shows three white flashes every 20 seconds from a focal height of 35 m, with a nominal range of 22 nautical miles. Its Admiralty number is J5282 and its NGA number 13860. The tower is open to visitors by arrangement with the keeper, and the site can be reached in dry weather.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 93,777 contributors worldwide.