SANIBEL ISLAND LIGHTHOUSE
1885
Eastern end
Sanibel Island, FL
When Congress appropriated $50,000 in 1882 for the construction of the Sanibel Island Lighthouse, it took two years to finish the structure partly due to the ship carrying the tower's ironwork from New Jersey wrecking two miles from Sanibel. Divers salvaged most of the pieces and the four-sided pyramid tower was completed in 1884.
Two detached frame houses on firmly based iron columns were built with the lighthouse to accommodate the keepers. They are joined to the lighthouse by a stairway and are Sanibel's oldest surviving buildings, having withstood many storms and high tides.
In 1939 the Coast Guard Light Attendant Station in Ft. Myers took charge of the lighthouse. Today the Coast Guard lists the light as a seacoast light for offshore purposes.
The lighthouse and keeper's quarters were entered in the National Register of Historic Places in 1974.
Under an agreement with the Coast Guard, employees of the City of Sanibel live in the cottage's rent-free in exchange for maintenance and supervision of the property.
LIGHTHOUSE - 98' / OPEN - Yes / MUSEUM - No / FEE - No