Despite the ravages of hurricanes and wars, the St. Marks Lighthouse still shines as a navigational beacon. The original poorly-constructed lighthouse, built in 1829, was replaced by a brick tower in 1831.

The lighthouse keeper feared for his safety during the Second Seminole War, asking for Federal troops or, at the very least, an escape boat. He received neither, but survived the conflict unscathed.

In 1842, erosion threatened the lighthouse, so a new tower was built farther inland. In the 1840s and 1850s it weathered several hurricanes, but its real test came during the Civil War. After Florida seceded from the Union in January 1861, the Confederates continued to operate the lighthouse until mid-1861, when authorities determined that it could not be secured against the Union navy, and removed the lens for safekeeping.

In June 1861, Confederate forces erected a small artillery battery about 50 yards from the lighthouse which they named Fort Williams, and used the lighthouse for lookout purposes. In June 1862, Union navy ships shelled the lighthouse and sent ashore a landing party, which destroyed the evacuated Fort Williams and burned the lighthouse keeper's quarters. No casualties were reported for either side.

In July 1863, the Union navy shelled the lighthouse again, and a landing party set fire to the wooden stairs of the lighthouse to prevent it from being used as a lookout post. In March 1865, approximately 1,000 Union troops landed in the vicinity of the lighthouse for an expedition against Newport, St. Marks and Fort Ward, which culminated in the Battle of Natural Bridge.

After being repulsed by the Confederate forces, the Union troops retreated back to the lighthouse area where they reboarded their transport vessels. The lighthouse was relit with a new fourth-order Fresnel lens in January 1867.

After the war, the damaged tower was completely rebuilt using brick and iron. Today, the St. Marks Lighthouse, off Highway 98 south of Tallahassee, is operated by the U.S. Coast Guard and the St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge. The grounds are open to the public. This nineteenth century landmark remains a sentinel on the Gulf Coast, its light visible up to fifteen miles away.

www.fws.gov/saintmarks/lighthouse.html

Information Provided by the Florida Department of State.