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Key West Lighthouse and Keeper's Quarters Museum
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Visitors can walk up the 88 steps to the top of the light as well as explore the belongings, photographs, and words of the lighthouse keepers and their families.
Reasonably priced, great, fun information about Frenelle lights, and a great view without too many steps
The Key West Lighthouse is located in Key West, Florida. The first Key West lighthouse was a 65-foot (20 m) tower completed in 1825. It had 15 lamps in 15-inch (380 mm) reflectors. The first keeper, Michael Mabrity, died in 1832, and his widow, Barbara, became the lighthouse keeper, serving for 32 years. The Great Havana Hurricane of 1846 destroyed the lighthouse; the USS Morris, which was wrecked during the storm, reported: "a white sand beach covers the spot where Key West Lighthouse stood". Barbara Mabrity survived, but fourteen people who had sought refuge in the lighthouse tower died, including seven members of her family. (The same hurricane destroyed the Sand Key Lighthouse, eight miles (13 km) away, killing six people, including the keeper, Rebecca Flaherty, another widow of a previous keeper.) Barbara Mabrity continued to serve as keeper of the Key West Light until the early 1860s, when she was fired at age 82 for making statements against the Union (Key West remained under Union control throughout the Civil War). As both lighthouses serving Key West had been destroyed in the 1846 hurricane, a ship, the Honey, was acquired and outfitted as a lightship to serve as the Sand Key Light until new lighthouses could be built. Due to efforts to reorganize the Lighthouse Board, Congress was slow to appropriate funds for the new lighthouses. The new tower for the Key West Light was completed in 1848. It was 50 feet (15 m) tall with 13 lamps in 21-inch (530 mm) reflectors and stood on the ground about 15 feet (4.6 m) above sea level. In 1858 the light received a third-order Fresnel lens. In 1873 the lantern was replaced (it had been damaged by a hurricane in 1866), adding three feet to the height of the tower. The growth of trees and taller buildings in Key West began to obscure the light, and in 1894 the tower was raised twenty feet, placing the light about 100 feet (30 m) above sea level. After the Coast Guard decommissioned the Key West Light in 1969, it was turned over to Monroe County, which in turn leased it to the Key West Arts and Historical Society. The society operates the lighthouse and its associated buildings as the Key West Light House and Keeper's Quarters Museum. On display at the museum is the first-order Fresnel lens from the Sombrero Key Lighthouse.
The Key West Lighthouse is located in Key West, Florida. The first Key West lighthouse was a 65-foot (20 m) tower completed in 1825. It had 15 lamps in 15-inch (380 mm) reflectors. The first keeper, Michael Mabrity, died in 1832, and his widow, Barbara, became the lighthouse keeper, serving for 32 y…
LIGHTHOUSE MUSEUM If you’re up for a climb, you’ll be rewarded with stunning views of Key West and the ocean. The Key West Lighthouse was built in 1825 to help the many ships entering the port avoid the hazardous reefs. Today, you can climb the 88 iron steps to the top of the tower for a scenic look at what the lighthouse keepers watched over for more than 120 years. Tour the grounds to see the Keeper’s Quarters which have been restored to their original charm and view the displays of nautical artifacts, antique furnishings, maps and vintage photos. Spanish settlers were the first Europeans to inhabit the Florida Keys, and after discovering a burial mound on one of the southernmost islands, they named it Cayo Hueso, meaning Bone Island. The Spanish name would be anglicized into its present day name of Key West. Spain transferred control of the island to the United States in 1821. That same year, entrepreneur John Simonton purchased Key West for $2,000. Having conducted considerable business in Cuba, Simonton recognized that the island would be an important way station on the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico trade routes. The U.S. Navy would even establish a naval base in Key West in 1823. Salvaging goods from sunken and wrecked vessels was a major industry in Key West because of the large number of ruined vessels. It soon became apparent that a lighthouse would be essential for the safety of commercial and military vessels navigating the shallow reef-filled waters around Key West. History of the Key West Lighthouse FROM SAMBO KEY TO WHITEHEAD’S POINT After conducting a survey of the area around Key West in 1822, Commander Matthew Perry submitted a report recommending that four lighthouses be constructed at various points in the Florida Keys. After Congress allocated the funds in 1824, Samuel Lincoln left Boston aboard a ship carrying supplies to build the first lighthouse. When the vessel failed to arrive in Key West, a second ship by the name of George Stodder was dispatched to construct a lighthouse on Sambo Key. When it arrived, the team responsible for the project determined that Sambo Key was not a suitable site. They instead chose Whitehead’s Point, which is the southernmost tip of Key West. THE FIRST LIGHTHOUSE Completed in 1825, the first lighthouse stood 65 feet tall. It held 15 whale oil lamps housed in 15 reflectors. When the first keeper, Michael Mabrity, died from yellow fever in 1832, his wife Barbara became the head keeper. She would serve in this capacity for the next 32 years. Although the building had survived several previous storms, the Great Havana Hurricane of 1846 destroyed the lighthouse and killed 14 people who had taken refuge in the tower before it collapsed, including six of Barbara’s children. key west lighthouse museumTHE SECOND LIGHTHOUSE A second 50-foot conical tower was constructed in 1848. Although shorter than the original lighthouse, the second beacon was built further inland on one of the highest points in Key West, which was 15 feet above sea level. It held 13 amps and 21 reflectors. Ten years later, it would receive a third order Fresnel lens, which is still present at the lighthouse today. As the Civil War loomed on the horizon, Barbara was replaced as keeper at the age of 82 because of her vociferous pro-Confederate views. Key West remained in Union hands throughout the war. Key West Lighthouse EntranceCONTINUED IMPROVEMENTS In 1887, the keeper’s quarters were built to house the keeper’s family and that of his assistant. Although the building had a communal kitchen and dining room, the families had separate living quarters and entrances. The tower was raised to 100 feet above sea level because trees and construction near the lighthouse began to obscure the view in 1894. Other improvements over the years included adding a balcony, electrifying the light and automating the beacon. The Key West Lighthouse remained in operation until 1969, when it was declared to be obsolete by the U.S. Coast Guard and deactivated. Three years later, it was transferred to Monroe County, which leased it to the Key West Art and Historical Society for use as a museum.
LIGHTHOUSE MUSEUM If you’re up for a climb, you’ll be rewarded with stunning views of Key West and the ocean. The Key West Lighthouse was built in 1825 to help the many ships entering the port avoid the hazardous reefs. Today, you can climb the 88 iron steps to the top of the tower for a scenic look…
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938 Whitehead St
Key West, FL
Bahama Village