Cape Florida Lighthouse - More Than A Great View

The beaches surrounding the Cape Florida Lighthouse at the southern tip of Key Biscayne are peaceful now.  Any given day, you'll find hundreds of locals and tourists soaking up the rays in its shadows.  Take the winding staircase to the top and you'll find unparalleled views of the Miami skyline to the west and the glassy blue waters of the Atlantic Ocean to the east.  But linger a little and you might just find more than a great view.

Funds to construct the lighthouse were appropriated by Congress in the early 1820s.  Builder Samuel B. Lincoln and his crew set sail from Boston in August 1824 with plans in hand.  Days turned into weeks and Lincoln and his men were never heard from again.  Historians believe their ship sank in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, leaving no survivors.  A year later, a new builder by the name of Noah Humphreys took up the mission to construct the 65-foot tower.  The lens was first lit in late 1825.

More than a decade later, the history of the lighthouse took a violent turn when it came under attack by a band of Seminole Indians.  Assistant lighthouse keeper John W. B. Thompson and his African-American assistant Aaron Carter were the only two people on hand when the Seminoles started firing bullets at the tower in July 1836.  The men tried to escape the onslaught by barricading themselves inside, eventually making it to the top of the tower.  They took with them muskets and a keg of powder.  Minutes later, the Seminoles had set fire to the base of the lighthouse.  The flames quickly spread up the wooden staircase and chased Thompson and Carter out onto the two-foot wide iron balcony.  Carter took a bullet and was killed instantly.  Thompson, already suffering from a bullet wound in the initial attack, was hit again.  With his clothes on fire and desperate to end his misery, Thompson tossed the keg of powder down into the flames.  Assuming Thompson had been killed in the explosion, the Seminoles eventually retreated.  Little did they know he had just been knocked unconscious by the blast.  A short time later, a Navy vessel off the coast saw the flames and came ashore to investigate.  Crew members found Thompson stranded on the balcony and jerry-rigged a crude pulley system to get him down to safety.  Thompson was taken to Charleston, South Carolina to recover from his injuries.

The lighthouse remained out of service until 1847 when it was rebuilt, this time with iron stairs.  It was eventually deactivated in 1878 and fell into disrepair during the first half of the 20th century.  The state of Florida purchased the historic structure in 1966 and was making progress in restoration efforts until 1992 when Hurricane Andrew did significant damage to the tower.  Preservationists held strong and saw it open to the public as a tourist attraction in 1996.

Today, visitors can tour the Cape Florida Lighthouse along with a replica of the keeper's cottage.  Don't forget your camera to capture the views.  Bring a notebook to jot down the fascinating stories.