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Photo courtesy of the Florida Division of Historical Resources.
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Port Boca Grande Lighthouse was activated on the last day of 1890 at the southernmost tip of Gasparilla Island to protect the entrance to Charlotte Harbor. At 44 feet, Florida’s lowest beacon was a lantern atop a single story keeper’s house, which was perched on a pile foundation. Its fixed white light, varied by red flashes on a 20-second schedule, was automated in 1956, but deactivated in 1966. Gradual erosion from the sea threatened the house’s base and supports, but a coordinated effort between local residents, the utility company, and historic preservationists during the 1970s allowed this unusual lighthouse and grounds to be opened to the public today.
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