Sanibel Island Lighthouse

The Sanibel Lighthouse was built in 1884 along with two companion buildings that were use to house the Keepers and their families, incidentally these are the oldest buildings in Sanibel. There are 127 steps that take you to the top tower where the electrical light, installed in 1962, shines out over the gulf. In 1952 a T.V. antenna was put on the top giving Sanibel residents their first television programs. In 1939 the coast Guard took over running the lighthouse from the United States and now the city of Sanibel operates the lighthouse property due to an agreement between them and the Coast Guard. The Sanibel Island Lighthouse is about 98 feet tall and was first lit in 1884 by a third-order Fresnel lens.