Sand Island Lighthouse: A Beacon of History

The Sand Island Lighthouse, located approximately 3 miles offshore from the entrance to Mobile Bay, has a storied past of guiding ships and withstanding the test of time [8]. The original 55-foot lighthouse, constructed in 1838 by Winslow Lewis, was deemed insufficient, leading to the construction of a taller, more robust lighthouse in 1859 [3, 8, 9]. This new tower was equipped with a first-order Fresnel lens, the most powerful available at the time, to serve as the principal light for Mobile Bay [3, 9]. However, the lighthouse's life was cut short when Confederate soldiers destroyed it during the Civil War to prevent Union forces from using it as an observation post [8, 9]. A temporary wooden structure was erected, but it wasn't until 1873 that the current lighthouse was completed, using plans similar to those of the Currituck Beach Lighthouse [8, 9]. The exterior was painted black in 1881 to serve as a daymark [3]. Erosion has been a constant threat to the Sand Island Lighthouse. Over the years, the island has shrunk from approximately 400 acres to a fraction of its original size [8, 10]. Granite blocks were added to the island in an attempt to combat the deterioration. Today, the Sand Island Lighthouse stands as a testament to engineering and perseverance, though it is listed on the Lighthouse Digest Doomsday List as one of the most endangered lighthouses in the country [8]. Despite the challenges, efforts to preserve and restore this historic beacon continue [10].