The Cape Florida Light

The Cape Florida Light is a piece of history, the oldest standing structure in Miami-Dade County. It was built in 1825 and rebuilt in 1846 to help ships navigate the hazards of the Florida reef just off shore, and towers over much of the park. The site was once a place where escaping slaves and black Seminoles would rendezvous at night for transport to the Bahamas and freedom, but the beacon inadvertently put an end to that. The lighthouse was also the scene of an attack during the Second Seminole War that left the assistant keeper trappped and wounded at the top of the tower until rescued by a passing Navy ship. George Gordon Meade of the Army Corps of Engineers and later commander of the Army of the Potomac at Gettysburg, oversaw its renovation in 1855. Meade worked on a number of lighthouses in Florida, including the one at Jupiter Inlet in northern Palm Beach County. Tours are given daily, and the public can climb the tower and take in the view from the walk way. Check the park website for further info.

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