Relax, lighthouse people, we're finally approaching Fort Jefferson's southeast bastion, home of the Tortugas Harbor Light. It is incorrectly marked on Google Earth as Garden Key Light, which is understandable, in that the original lighthouse on Garden Key, completed in 1826, was known as Garden Key Light. That lighthouse proved to be ineffectual, in that it was to short, dim and far from the hazards of which it was intended to warn mariners. It was built on what is today Fort Jefferson's parade ground, and its foundation is said to be visible, but if it is, I missed it.
The Dry Tortugas Light was built on Loggerhead Key, three miles west of Fort Jefferson, in 1858...but yet another lighthouse was needed to help folks navigate Garden Key's harbor, and thus the lighthouse of our current interest was born in 1876. It was built of iron plate instead of brick, since everybody knew it would be the first thing an attacking navy would target, and bricks tend to shatter when hit with artillery, sending out deadly shrapnel. One might ask why the whole fort wasn't therefore made of iron, but I'm pretty sure the answer is that bricks are way cheaper than iron!
The Dry Tortugas Light was built on Loggerhead Key, three miles west of Fort Jefferson, in 1858...but yet another lighthouse was needed to help folks navigate Garden Key's harbor, and thus the lighthouse of our current interest was born in 1876. It was built of iron plate instead of brick, since everybody knew it would be the first thing an attacking navy would target, and bricks tend to shatter when hit with artillery, sending out deadly shrapnel. One might ask why the whole fort wasn't therefore made of iron, but I'm pretty sure the answer is that bricks are way cheaper than iron!
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