Middle Bay Lighthouse: A Beacon in Mobile Bay

Located in the heart of Mobile Bay, the Middle Bay Lighthouse, also known as Mobile Bay Lighthouse, has been a guiding light for sailors and a symbol of the region since 1885. This unique hexagonal, cottage-style lighthouse is a screw-pile structure, meaning it's built on metal pilings screwed directly into the seafloor, a design well-suited for the bay's soft, muddy bottom. Middle Bay is one of only a few remaining screw-pile lighthouses still standing in its original location.Constructed in the North and shipped to Mobile Point, the lighthouse began operating on December 1, 1885. Its light, produced by a fourth-order Fresnel lens, flashed white with a red flash every 30 seconds, visible to Mobilians across the bay. In foggy conditions, a bell struck every five seconds served as a crucial fog signal.Life at the lighthouse wasn't always easy. Keepers and their families resided there, facing isolation and the challenges of living offshore. A memorable story tells of a lighthouse keeper and his wife who had a baby in 1916. When the mother was unable to nurse, the keeper brought a cow to the lighthouse and corralled it on the lower deck for milk.The lighthouse was automated in 1935 and deactivated in 1967. The Coast Guard planned to demolish it, but local citizens and the Mobile Bar Pilots Association intervened, recognizing its continued navigational value. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1975 and is currently under the care of the Alabama Historical Commission.While the lighthouse is not open for interior tours, it can be viewed by boat. Several boat tour operators and fishing charters offer trips that provide close-up views of the structure. From the water, visitors can appreciate its unique architecture and picturesque setting. Today, the lighthouse also houses a real-time weather station for the Dauphin Island Sea Lab, contributing to maritime safety.