Fowey Rocks Light facts for kids
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| Location | seven miles southeast of Cape Florida on Key Biscayne |
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| Coordinates | 25°35′26.2″N 80°05′48″W / 25.590611°N 80.09667°W |
| Year first lit | 1878 |
| Automated | May 7, 1975 |
| Foundation | screw-pile |
| Construction | cast-iron |
| Tower shape | skeletal octagonal pyramid |
| Markings / pattern | brown and white |
| Focal height | 110 feet (34 m) |
| Original lens | 1878: 1st order drum Fresnel lens 1982: Flash tube array 1983: 300mm |
| Current lens | VRB-25 system |
| Range | White 15 nautical miles (28 km; 17 mi), red 10 nautical miles (19 km; 12 mi) |
| Characteristic | Flashing white 10s with two red sectors |
| Racon | "O" (Oscar) |
| Admiralty number | J2960 |
| ARLHS number | USA-307 |
| USCG number | 3-920 |
The Fowey Rocks Light is a famous lighthouse located about seven miles southeast of Key Biscayne in Florida. It was finished in 1878 and took the place of the older Cape Florida Light. This lighthouse was made automatic on May 7, 1975, and it is still working today, helping ships navigate safely.
The lighthouse is built from cast iron and stands on a special screw-pile foundation. It looks like a tall, skinny pyramid. The light itself is 110 feet (about 33.5 meters) above the water. The main frame of the tower is brown, while the living area and the stairs leading up to the light are painted white.
Contents
The Original Light and Its Power
The first light used in 1878 was a huge Fresnel lens. This type of lens is very powerful and helps focus light into a strong beam. The original lens was about 12 feet (3.6 meters) tall and weighed around one ton!
The light from Fowey Rocks Light can be seen from far away. In its white sections, the light can reach up to 15 miles (about 24 kilometers). In its red sections, which warn of dangerous areas, it can be seen up to 10 miles (about 16 kilometers) away.
Why "Fowey Rocks"?
The Fowey Rocks, where the lighthouse stands, got their name from a British Navy ship called HMS Fowey. This ship was wrecked on a different reef nearby way back in 1748.
Building the lighthouse was a big challenge. Workers had to live on a platform built right over the water. This made it safer and easier than traveling back and forth from the mainland every day.
A Shipwreck During Construction
While the lighthouse was being built, a large steamship named the Arratoon Apcar ran aground on the reef on February 17, 1878. This 1500-ton ship ended up only about 200 yards (183 meters) from where the workers were building the lighthouse!
People tried to save the ship, but they couldn't. It was eventually broken apart by the strong waves and sank. Today, the wreck of the Arratoon Apcar is a popular spot for scuba divers to explore.
Surviving the Storms
The Fowey Rocks Light has stood strong through many powerful storms. One of the most famous was the Labor Day Hurricane of 1935. This hurricane was incredibly strong and washed away the first deck of the lighthouse, which was 15 feet (about 4.5 meters) above the water. Even so, the main tower of the lighthouse survived the storm.
Today, the lighthouse is located inside the beautiful Biscayne National Park.
Protecting the Lighthouse
In 2011, the General Services Administration offered the Fowey Rocks Light and 11 other lighthouses to public groups who would promise to take care of them. On October 2, 2012, the National Park Service took ownership of the Fowey Rocks Light.
This lighthouse is special because it is the last of the original manned lighthouses on the Florida Keys offshore reefs that is still working. All the other similar lighthouses were turned off by 2015. Even though the National Park Service owns the lighthouse, the U.S. Coast Guard still helps maintain its light. The original powerful Fresnel lens has been replaced with a modern light that runs on solar power.
See also
In Spanish: Faro Fowey Rocks para niños
