Ponce de Leon Inlet Lighthouse

To visit the Ponce de Leon Inlet Lighthouse, take 1-95 to exit 256 (Port Orange exit). Then go east on State Route 421 and cross over the Halifax River (approximately four miles). Go to the second traffic light and make a right on Atlantic Ave. Continue going south on Atlantic Ave. for six miles. Make a right on to Beach Street and then a left onto Peninsula Dr. The lighthouse entrance is just ahead on the left.

Once Florida became a territory of the newly formed United States, the area began to flourish. The fertile land and prolonged growing seasons made for great farming conditions that lead to thriving plantations. Farmers relied not only on the land for their survival, but on shipping as well. The inlets of the area allowed their goods to be shipped to other parts of the country and much needed supplies to be brought in. With the increased shipping traffic caused by the growth of these plantations, lighthouses were needed to safely guide ships into and out of these inlets.

In 1834, the United States Congress set aside $11,000 for a lighthouse to be built at Ponce de Leon Inlet; then called Mosquito Inlet. This lighthouse was completed in 1835, and stood 45 feet in height. The lamps in the lighthouse had not been lit yet when a hurricane blew in off of the Atlantic, washing away the keeper's quarters and undermining the towers foundation, causing it to lean. Workers were never able to rescue the tower due to unruly Seminole Indians and a year later, the tower collapsed.

Construction began on a new tower in 1883, almost fifty years after the collapse of the original tower. It took four years for the tower to be finished, and the lamps were first lit in 1887. The new tower, standing 168 feet in height, was fitted with a first-order Fresnel lens, which made the light visible 20 miles out to sea. The lighthouse served mariners until 1970, when the Coast Guard removed it from active service.

Neglected for nearly two years, the light station was damaged by vandals. In 1972, the light station was placed on the

National Register of Historic Places and was also deeded to the town of Ponce Inlet. Since then, the light station has undergone restoration. In 2001, the lighthouse was fully restored at a cost of $1.7 million.

Today, the Ponce de Leon Inlet light station stands as a monument to the historic age of a time when lighthouses were totally relied upon for safe navigation. All of the station's buildings, including the lighthouse, have been fully restored and are open for the public to enjoy. The station even has a lens exhibit, which includes the restored first-order Fresnel lens, which was used in the tower, along with other types of lenses and beacons used for navigation. For more information on the light station, contact the Ponce de Leon Inlet Lighthouse Preservation Association.