Carysfort Reef

Florida Keys

Off Key Largo

Constructed in 1852. First lighted Mach 10, 1852. It is the oldest iron screwpile lighthouse still functioning in the US.On the National Register Listing.

At a Glance

Region

Florida Keys

Type

Historic Lighthouse

Latitude

25.22189

Longitude

-80.21149

Carysfort Reef

Photo: Dede Smith

Active: Yes

Characteristics: Three-group flashing white every 60-seconds with three red sectors.

Height: 112 feet

DayMark: Dark red octagonal, pyramidal skeletal tower enclosing stair sylinder and conical dwelling; black screwpile foundation.

History: Constructed in 1852. First lighted Mach 10, 1852. It is the oldest iron screwpile lighthouse still functioning in the US.On the National Register Listing.

Lens: Original: Eighteen patent lamps with 21-inch reflectors (1852); Winslow Lewis. Present: Vega VRB-25 rotating beacon; RACON. Focal Plane: 100 feet.

Construction: Architect: I.W.P. Lewis. Builders: Lt. George Gordon Meade. Merrick & Towne foundry in Philadelphua. Iron screwpile constructed of wrought iron.

Coordinates:
     25 13 18 N
     80 12 42 W

Operated by: United States Coast Guard

Visit Status: Closed to public

Facilities: None, no handicap access

Visitor Info: Cannot be seen from land. Boats can be chartered out of Key Largo to go out to the light or from John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park. The Florida Keys Reef Lights Foundation has been formed to promote the establishment of a lighthouse museum and future access to the light.

Contact:
Florida Keys Reef Lights Foundation, Inc.
1067 Drift Creek Cove
Orlando, FL 32828

Email: Info@ReefLights.org
Website:   www.ReefLights.org

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Six miles offshore from Key Largo, Carysfort Reef Lighthouse rises from the Atlantic on an octagonal iron framework. The 125-foot tower was designed to place its light above waves and weather while keeping the keepers’ living quarters high over the reef.

Carysfort Reef was named for the HMS Carysfort, which grounded there in 1770, and later claimed many more vessels. A lightship named Caesar began marking the reef in the 1820s but repeatedly broke free or was damaged. The permanent tower was started in 1848 and finally lighted in 1852, making it Florida’s oldest standing reef lighthouse. Its success shaped the design of later offshore lights. The station was electrified in 1938, automated in 1962, and deactivated in 2014 when a separate modern aid assumed its navigational role.

The best views are by boat or plane, and some dive or snorkel operators visit the reef when conditions permit. The tower is closed and should be viewed only from the water. A very distant view may be possible from northern Key Largo on a clear day.

Carysfort Reef Lighthouse is privately owned and no longer functions as the official light for the reef. Its historic Fresnel lenses have been removed for preservation and display. There is no public access to the tower.

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