Click image to enlarge. There has been a lighthouse on Sand Island since 1830, the earliest being nothing more than an iron spindle with a lard-fueled lamp. A more permanent structure was constructed in 1837, only to be razed by Confederates concerned that the light might assist Union forces in their attempts to navigate Mobile Bay. The current lighthouse, along with a no-longer-extant Victorian cottage, was built in 1871. More than an aid to navigation, this lighthouse is a work of art. The lighthouse tower, which rises sixty feet above sea level, is constructed of Flemish bond masonry with massive granite lintels and sills at door and window openings. Atop the tower is an iron-lantern light and a crow's nest supported by cast-iron Victorian brackets.
A severe blow to the lighthouse and Sand Island occurred in 1979 when Hurricane Frederick removed what was left of the caretaker's cottage and destroyed most of the island. The Army Corps of Engineers currently deposits
riprap to prevent tides from further undermining the foundation.
Once owned by the U.S. Coast Guard, the lighthouse is now the property of the General Services Administration. The Alabama Historical Commission is willing to take ownership of the property, but only if the GSA provides funding to repair the deterioration that has occurred under its ownership.
Luckily, the Sand Island Lighthouse has an active group of friends who believe that historic aids to navigation are both scenic pleasures and important tools in
interpreting our past. Saving the lighthouse will not be easy, but it can be done. Time, however, is of the essence. For more information on how to help in the preservation of this significant resource, see the Friends of Sand Island
Lighthouse website.
riprap to prevent tides from further undermining the foundation.
Once owned by the U.S. Coast Guard, the lighthouse is now the property of the General Services Administration. The Alabama Historical Commission is willing to take ownership of the property, but only if the GSA provides funding to repair the deterioration that has occurred under its ownership.
Luckily, the Sand Island Lighthouse has an active group of friends who believe that historic aids to navigation are both scenic pleasures and important tools in
interpreting our past. Saving the lighthouse will not be easy, but it can be done. Time, however, is of the essence. For more information on how to help in the preservation of this significant resource, see the Friends of Sand Island
Lighthouse website.
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