Sand Island Lighthouse, Gulf Coast Travel Guide

The Sand Island Lighthouse, located in the Gulf of Mexico, marks the entrance to Mobile Bay and has been a sentinel for ships navigating the Alabama coast for over 150 years. The island itself, once exceeding 400 acres, has diminished to less than one acre due to relentless erosion, giving the lighthouse a more fitting name of 'Granite Block Island'.The first attempt to mark the area was in 1830 with an iron spindle, but mariners found it insufficient. In 1838, a 55-foot lighthouse was constructed by Winslow Lewis. By the 1850s, a new, taller lighthouse was needed, resulting in the construction of a 150-foot conical brick tower in 1858, equipped with a first-order Fresnel lens. During the Civil War, Confederate forces removed the lens to prevent Union forces from using the lighthouse. Union blockaders later installed a fourth-order lens.The lighthouse has faced numerous challenges, including damage from hurricanes and the constant threat of erosion. In 1889, 1,600 tons of granite were placed around the tower to combat erosion. The light was discontinued in 1971, and its second-order Fresnel lens was moved to the Fort Morgan Museum. Though the tower is closed to the public, it remains a visible landmark from Dauphin Island and Fort Morgan, and can be viewed up close via boat tours.