Lighthouse Series continued: The lighthouse that fell into the sea

Recently I returned from a Florida barrier island in the Gulf of Mexico I had never heard of and was amazed to discover not one, but two, lighthouses near our beach house. I grew up in Lakeland, Florida, and am familiar with most of the beach resorts, but this was a new and refreshing, as well as educational, trip! Three of my children, one grandchild, one son in law and two of my sisters and a plus one, gathered for a great time on the 22-mile barrier island known as St. George Island. The island has the reputation as being one of the most beautiful and serene beaches on the Gulf Coast. And yet, it was one of the last inhabited because of its inaccessibility. The nearest large city is Tallahassee. To reach the island you must cross the 4-mile St. George Island Bridge which was completed in 2004. The two original bridges, split by a small island, had become unsafe. Only 10 miles from Apalachicola, the 1965 bridges replaced the ferry which had provided early islanders with transportation from the mainland. The new bridge bypasses the middle island and became the 3rd-longest bridge in Florida. It is an amazing experience just to cross this bridge. You can still see the island and the old bridges resting in the gulf. We came from three states and two countries and arrived on different days, but we finally got together for a memorable visit in two beach houses. Before the entire group got together in the middle of the week, I went with my daughter, who had lived in Germany for 25 years, to the lighthouse which is the centerpiece of St. George Island. I was so eager to learn about restoring, promoting and sharing this lighthouse, I was given the opportunity to speak to their executive director. The most amazing thing I learned was the fact that the Cape St. George Light fell into the Gulf of Mexico on a calm, quiet sunny day on Friday, Oct. 21, 2005! Folks nearby first heard the noise and looked toward the lighthouse only to see the sky minus a landmark that had marked the island since the first lighthouse was built in 1833. The 1833 lighthouse was built on the western tip of the island guiding ships into the port of Apalachicola seeking cotton to carry back to trade. That lighthouse was dismantled after it was damaged and in 1848, a second one was built on the southernmost tip of the island. After a hurricane toppled the 1848 structure four years later in 1851, a third one was built in 1852 with a third order Fresnel lens. The lightkeepers, for the next 100 years, carried heavy buckets of fuel of the spiral staircase to the light, trimming the wicks and polishing the lenses. But that era came to an end in 1949 when the beautiful Fresnel lens was replaced by an automated light and lighthouse keepers were no longer needed. Severe beach erosion around the lighthouse caused the Coast Guard to deactivate the light in 1994 after its beacon had lit the way for sailors and ships for more than 160 years. A huge tidal wave hit the lighthouse when Hurricane Opal came through the area and the force of the wave moved the structure from its foundation. The fuel house and the lightkeeper’s house were left in ruins. Folks going by and even from a distance could see that the lighthouse now looked similar to the leaning Tower of Pisa. In fact, it was learning at a 7.5 angle. But the spirit of the island community showed itself when they banded together to save their light. Digging from one side with a backhoe, the 400-ton structure regained its original position. But the Gulf of Mexico surf was relentless in its erosion, much like we have to deal with along our lake. By 2004, the stately structure was completely surrounded by pounding gulf waves. Once billed as the “Save the Light” campaign, it now became “Rescue the Light.” Islanders were split in what to do and before any real decision had been reached, the lighthouse made the decision for them and collapsed into the gulf. But what happened next is an example of team effort, shared goals, and community pride in action. As islanders looked down on the pieces of the collapsed lighthouse, they decided to do all they could to save their history for future generations and their efforts were nothing short of a miracle! With help from volunteers, private contractors and some government funding, lovers of their light salvaged the fallen pieces and stored them in a facility nearby. Then little by little, the pieces were brought out on weekends where folks gathered under tents to clean the mortar off more than 22, 000 salvaged bricks. What dedication and commitment! What a labor of love! I cannot help but think of the years of work done by the Ashtabula Lighthouse Preservation and Restoration Society. We could not see what they were doing because our lighthouse is one mile out in the lake but they were faithfully restoring our historical marker without fanfare our applause because they knew it was important. How I wish our light was closer to shore as it once was so more folks could see the amazing job they have done and continue to do. The St. George Lighthouse Association obtained the plans for the 1852 lighthouse from the National Archives and began to reconstruct it to that view in the fall of 2007. They used the cleaned original bricks for the interior walls so visitors can see them when they tour the building. They were able to salvage the original granite door jambs and window lintels and used them in the new tower. Even the lantern room was made from the obtained plans and patterns allowed them to cast new ones to match the 1852 pieces. In December of 2008, the fourth Cape St. George Light was completed and opened for tours. A wonderful Lighthouse Keeper’s house was constructed next to the light, both now safely in place inland away from the water’s edge and erosion’s relentless hand. When you drive off the long bridge, it is the first thing you see towering proudly as the focus of the island. You can climb the 92 steps to the top or just enter the door and learn about the light from a docent. I chose the docent over the steps! But the views of Apalachicola Bay and the Gulf of Mexico are more than worth the $5 charge to walk up. With my knee problem, I would have paid $5 not to walk up! The museum is an interactive learning experience with videos of the restoration, stories of lighthouse keepers of the St. George Light and displays of pieces from the fallen structure. A well-informed docent is always on hand to provide fascinating information. The main drive as you come off the bridge is called Gulf Beach Drive. At the most eastern end of the drive is the St. George Island State Park, established in 1980. It cost $6 per car to enter, but you will be rewarded with seeing the most pristine, white dunes and beaches untouched by construction. Picnic facilities are available. The area was used for amphibious training for D-Day using the dunes and beach area for Camp Gordon Johnston, just up the road in Carrabelle. You can still find pieces of practice bombs and artillery shells in the park. St. George Island is located in Florida’s panhandle and is a quiet, peaceful retreat from the crowded commercial beaches normally visited by folks. The biggest commercial venture besides three small beachside restaurants and three small beach stores was the famous southern Piggly Wiggly Express grocery store! For more details and to see photos of the area, go to www.stgeorgelight.org.

Lighthouse Series continued: The lighthouse that fell into the sea

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