|Early Days of the Tower Construction|
First built as a brick tower in 1827, and it was damaged by a hurricane in 1844, and toppled by the "Great Havana Hurricane of 1846" as the sand on the island was washed away. The lighthouse keeper wand five others were killed as a result.
|Sand Key Light Today|
The lighthouse was reconstructed as a tower with a screw pile foundation, finally completed after several budget problems related to Federal Government issues. Completed in 1853 and was the first to use a hydraulic lamp and a first became automated in 1938.
The tower's open construction allowed the light to survive many hurricanes since it's reconstruction. Though suffering minor damages in several storms, it stood strong until the tower was severely damaged by a fire in 1989. The tower was reconstructed and put back in operation in 1998.
This is a great place fore fishing and diving, and just a really cool place to visit and enjoy a day on the boat. ;o)