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All the United States Florida Anclote Key Anclote Key Lighthouse

Anclote Key Lighthouse

Though it may look like it’s missing its outer shell, this skeletal cast-iron tower was built to withstand wind and waves.

Anclote Key, Florida

Added By
Michelle Cassidy
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  Courtesy Experience Florida's Sports Coast Office
  Courtesy Experience Florida's Sports Coast Office
The cast-iron structure of the lighthouse stands at the southern end of Anclote Key.   Courtesy Experience Florida's Sports Coast Office
  Courtesy Experience Florida's Sports Coast Office
View from the top of the Anclote Key Lighthouse.   Courtesy Experience Florida's Sports Coast Office
  Courtesy Experience Florida's Sports Coast Office
An aerial view of Anclote Key Lighthouse, circa 1900.   State Library and Archives of Florida/Public Domain
Anclote Key Lighthouse behind a canopy palm trees.   Courtesy Experience Florida's Sports Coast Office
Camping on Anclote Key close to the lighthouse.   Courtesy Experience Florida's Sports Coast Office
Anclote Key Preserve & Lighthouse   ljluter / Atlas Obscura User
Refurbishment in Progress - Summer 2023   ljluter / Atlas Obscura User
  Steven Miller/CC BY 2.0
Looking Up - Refurbishment 2023   ljluter / Atlas Obscura User
The lantern helped ships navigate the shallow waters off the coast.   Steven Miller/CC BY 2.0
Anclote Key at sunset.   Trougnouf/CC BY-SA 4.0
The cast-iron structure of the lighthouse stands at the southern end of Anclote Key.   U.S. Coast Guard/Public Domain
  Steven Miller/CC BY 2.0
Lighthouse in the Mist - 2023 Refurbishment   ljluter / Atlas Obscura User
Oil House & Lighthouse from Picnic Area - Sprng 2023   ljluter / Atlas Obscura User
Morning Fog at Anclote Key Preserve   ljluter / Atlas Obscura User
A Fresh Coat of Paint in Anclote Red - 2023 Refurbishment   ljluter / Atlas Obscura User
Attention to Details - 2023 Refurbishment   ljluter / Atlas Obscura User
Interior Refurbishment 2023   ljluter / Atlas Obscura User
Afternoon Shadow - Abclote Key Preserve Lighthouse   ljluter / Atlas Obscura User
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About

At the southern edge of Anclote Key, a spindly red-brown tower rises above the surrounding treeline, topping out at 110 feet. This is the Anclote Key Lighthouse, which served as a navigational aid for ships in the Gulf of Mexico for nearly a century.

The lighthouse is located on the largest of the Anclote Keys, a group of barrier islands in Florida. The island chain is located just a few miles offshore from the city of Holiday. The city was officially incorporated in 1887, the same year that the railroad reached the area and the Anclote Keys Light was erected.

Depending on when and where they are built, lighthouses can take a number of different forms. The Anclote Key Lighthouse is an example of a skeletal tower: Its lantern room sits atop a central cylinder with four supporting columns that slope outward to form a pyramid shape. Skeletal towers are less expensive and faster to build than brick or stone towers, and the open-frame construction allows wind to pass through the support structures.

Assembling the cast-iron tower took just three months. The Anclote Key Lighthouse was first lit on September 15, 1887. Keepers accessed the lantern through a spiral staircase located inside the tower’s central cylinder. Though Anclote Key was a boat ride away from the mainland, lightkeepers frequently visited town and visitors came by to take advantage of the island’s beaches.

The light was automated in 1952 and then decommissioned in 1984, as other navigation technologies rendered the lighthouse unnecessary. The station slowly fell into disrepair. In 2002, a grassroots campaign to restore the lighthouse was launched, eventually raising more than a million dollars. In addition to the structural repairs, a new boardwalk leading up to the lighthouse was built. On September 13, 2003, the Anclote Key Lighthouse once again shone a light across the waters of the Gulf of Mexico.

Related Tags

Lighthouses Ships Towers Architectural Oddities Navigation Architecture Water

Know Before You Go

Anclote Key Preserve State Park is open daily from 8 a.m. to sunset. There is no fee to enter. The park is only accessible by boat. You can rent boats with Windsong Charters & Boat Rentals and at the Anclote Village Marina. The lighthouse is also visible from Fred Howard Park.

Access to the tower itself is limited, and requires advance registration. See the Friends of Anclote Key State Park website for more information. 

Experience Florida’s Sports Coast strives to make sure every visitor experience is the best it can be by providing up-to-date information. The safety of our visitors is our highest priority and we always want you to have the resources you need to make informed travel decisions when it comes to COVID-19 (or Coronavirus). 

Community Contributors

Added By

michellecassidy1

Edited By

evanbonham, ljluter

  • evanbonham
  • ljluter

Published

December 1, 2020

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Sources
  • https://www.lighthousefriends.com/light.asp?ID=596
  • https://www.visitstpeteclearwater.com/profile/anclote-key-lighthouse/68
  • https://www.floridarambler.com/beaches/anclote-key-tarpon-springs/
  • https://www.floridastateparks.org/parks-and-trails/anclote-key-preserve-state-park
  • https://www.history.uscg.mil/Browse-by-Topic/Assets/Land/Lighthouses-Light-Stations/Article/2005606/anclote-keys-light/
  • http://floridanaturecoast.org/County/Pasco/AncloteKey/AncloteKey.aspx
Anclote Key Lighthouse
Anclote Key Preserve State Park
Anclote Key, Florida, 34689
United States
28.166233, -82.844117
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