Bringing the Past to Light

Friends of St. Marks Wildlife Refuge, we can be extremely proud of another huge advance made toward the completion of the lighthouse restoration. On July 13, 2018, the light atop the St. Marks Lighthouse was shining once again after a long absence.

To make that happen, the Friends organization contracted to have a replica of the historic Fourth Order Fresnel Lens constructed by Artworks Florida. It was installed in the restored lantern room on July 12. For the first time since 2000, the St. Marks Lighthouse briefly flashed its beam out to sea once again.

The official re-lighting ceremony took place on October 31, 2019, the 88th anniversary of the founding of the St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge. It was a breezy and mostly overcast day as Several hundred loyal supporters and lovers of the refuge had motored down to be on hand and witness this historic event. The threatening skies dampened clothes, but not spirits as a heavy line of showers blew through and ended just in time for the ceremonies to proceed on schedule.

As the evening sky cleared a few hundred people witnessed the re-lighting of the lens at 7:00. It was a most majestic site to see. Despite being wet and chilly the excitement was evident for quite a while as people stayed to watch the light.

The light at the top of the tower is either on or off, depending upon the spring and fall bird migration cycles. You can call the Refuge at 850-925-6121 for dates if you are driving specifically to observe the light.