Carysfort Reef Light
Carysfort Reef Light is located six miles (10 km or 11 km) east of Key Largo, Florida (25° 13' 18" N, 80° 12' 42" W). The lighthouse has an iron screw-pile foundation with a platform, and a skeletal octagonal pyramidal tower, which is painted red. The light is 100 feet (30 m) above the water. The original lens was a first order Fresnel lens. The light is currently a xenon flashtube beacon. It is the oldest functioning lighthouse of its type in the United States, completed in 1852. Carysfort Reef is named for the Royal Navy ship HMS Carysford, a 20-gun frigate, which ran aground on the reef in 1770.
The original Carysfort Reef light was a lightship, starting in 1825. The first lightship was built in New York City. While being sailed to its station, it went aground near Key Biscayne during a storm, and its crew abandoned the ship. The ship was salvaged by wreckers and taken to Key West, Florida. The owners bought the ship back and it was placed on s...
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