PORT BOCA GRANDE LIGHT
1890
Boca Grande Pass
Gasparilla Island, FL
Also known as the Gasparilla Island Lighthouse, the house-like structure of the Old Port Boca Grande Lighthouse is located on the southern tip of the island about one mile south of the Boca Grande Rear Range Light at Boca Grande Beach.
Congress appropriated $35,000 in 1888 to build a lighthouse to guard the entrance to Charlotte Harbor and the busy channel. Workers erected on a pile foundation a one-story, white frame dwelling with a shingled roof. A black lantern on top displayed a fixed white light interrupted by a red flash that warned mariners of the hazards of the Boca Grande Pass. A similar building was built 70' away for the assistant keeper.
The Light, only 50' above sea level, was lower than other lighthouses since it was designed as a harbor beacon rather than a light for mariners farther out in the Gulf.
The lighthouse was abandoned in 1927 when the Boca Grande Rear Range Light went into service.
In 1980, the lighthouse was placed in the National Register of Historic Places. In 1986, through concerted efforts, the lighthouse was restored and once more became an aid to navigation.
LIGHTHOUSE - 50' / OPEN - No / MUSEUM - Yes / FEE - No