The U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary has announced the beacon in the Amelia Light has officially been restored and is now active as an aid to navigation.
Located at the northern end of Amelia Island, the Amelia Island Light is the oldest existing lighthouse in Florida. The light was nonfunctional for 18 months because of mechanical failure.
Located inland on a hill overlooking Egans Creek, the light marks the St. Marys entrance, the inlet leading to St. Marys River, Cumberland Sound and the harbor of Fernandina Beach. The white light flashes every 10 seconds, which turns red from 344 degrees to 360 degrees when covering the shoal water in the vicinity of Nassau Sound. The lighthouse is listed as number 565 in the United States Coast Guard light list.
The tower for the light, formerly on Cumberland Island, was relocated and rebuilt on Amelia Island in 1838. The new light was originally equipped with 14 lamps each with a 14-inch reflector when first lit in 1839. The reflector size was increased to 15 inches by 1848. This arrangement was replaced by a third-order Barbier Benard Fresnel lens in 1903, which is still used to this day.
The ownership of the lighthouse tower and grounds was transferred from the USCG to the city of Fernandina Beach in 2001. However, the Coast Guard retained ownership and responsibility for the function of the beacon. The USCG Auxiliary District 7 14-1, stationed at the lighthouse grounds, maintains the beacon with a group of trained lighthouse volunteers.
District 7 is the largest of the 16 Coast Guard Districts nationwide with more than 4,000 dedicated volunteers. The auxiliary is dedicated to support the active-duty Coast Guard in all its missions except for direct law enforcement.
The Amelia Light is not open to the public, except on Saturdays, when just the grounds are open. For more information, visit https://www.ameliaisland.com/partners/amelia-island-lighthouse/.