The Amelia Island Lighthouse in Fernandina Beach, Florida, dates to 1838 and is recognized as the state’s oldest lighthouse. It is also the only surviving Florida lighthouse from the territorial period that has not undergone major rebuilding. When its lantern first sent light out over the water, Florida had not yet entered the Union, giving the tower an unusual place in both state and maritime history.
The lighthouse was built using materials from an earlier light on Cumberland Island, Georgia, and the rebuilt brick tower was first illuminated in 1839. Originally equipped with 14 lamps and reflectors, the light was upgraded over time, including the installation of a Fresnel lens in 1903 that remains associated with the lighthouse’s long operating history. In 1881, a new lantern increased the tower’s height to 64 feet, with the light standing 107 feet above sea level.
The beacon was automated in 1970 and remains an active aid to navigation for vessels approaching Fernandina Harbor. The City of Fernandina Beach took ownership of the lighthouse from the U.S. Coast Guard in 2001, while the Coast Guard continues to oversee the operation of the light itself.