Sanibel Lighthouse, circa 1933
Did you know?
The Sanibel Lighthouse has quite the fascinating history!
Early islanders originally petitioned for the lighthouse in 1833; however it wasn’t until 50 years later that Congress finally appropriated funds for the project.
The foundation for the new lighthouse was completed in early 1884, but the ship bringing ironwork for the tower from Jersey City, NJ sank two miles from Sanibel Island. A crew of divers from Key West recovered all but two of the pieces for the tower, which were subsequently fabricated in New Orleans.
The 98-foot lighthouse was first lit by inaugural lighthouse keeper Dudley Richardson on August 20, 1884.
Fun fact: The Sanibel Lighthouse was the first lighthouse built on Florida’s Gulf Coast north of the Florida Keys!
