Egmont Key Light, Lighthouse at entrance of Tampa Bay, Florida, United States.
Egmont Key Light is a conical white brick tower, 26 meters tall, with a circular gallery and no lantern, standing at the northern end of Egmont Key at the mouth of Tampa Bay. It dates from 1858, when the rebuilt tower was placed back in service with a third-order Fresnel lens. The tower is the oldest structure in the Tampa Bay area still used for its original purpose.
The first lighthouse on Egmont Key was built in 1848, the only one on Florida's Gulf coast between Key West and St. Marks. Hurricanes in 1848 and 1852 damaged it, so the tower was rebuilt and moved 90 feet inland, completed in 1858 with a third-order Fresnel lens. Confederates removed the lens during the Civil War; it was restored afterward. The light was automated in 1990.
Egmont Key is a National Wildlife Refuge and a state park, and the whole island is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Visitors reach it by boat from Fort De Soto Park and walk among the ruins of Fort Dade, whose batteries were begun in 1898 for the Spanish-American War.
Visiting the lighthouse requires taking a boat from Fort De Soto Park, as the island is accessible only by water. Bring water and food for your visit since the island has no facilities, shops, or amenities available to visitors.
The lighthouse was moved about 90 feet (27 m) inland during its 1857–1858 rebuilding after hurricanes and erosion threatened to topple it. In 2000, sand was pumped onto the beach in front of the tower for the same reason.
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