By Susan Hardee Steger
March 17, 2017 10:33 a.m.
There is no light coming from the Amelia Island Lighthouse and it is not known when or if the lighthouse will be operational. The Coast Guard is assessing the Fresnel lens to determine the next steps.
An email sent by City Manager Dale Martin to media outlets from Chris Belcher, second generation local historian, member of the Amelia Island Coast Guard Auxiliary, and president of the Florida Lighthouse Association told the story.Florida Lighthouse
“The Amelia Island Lighthouse, Florida’s oldest operating lighthouse is turning “dark” today. One of the twelve bulls-eyes in the Fresnel lens fell out during routine dusting by a local Coast Guard Auxiliary team.
U.S. Coast Guard’s Aids to Navigation Team inspected the lens and determined it must be turned off (rotation and lamps) until an assessment can be made by a Fresnel lens expert.
Curtains have been installed to protect the lens from sunlight while it is not rotating. The Coast Guard will use the expert’s assessment to make the decision to either stabilize the lens in place or remove it to a protected environment. At this time, there are no plans to place a temporary beacon in place of the 115 year old third-order Fresnel Lens.”
Chris Belcher
A sign of the times.
Hope the repairs can be completed quickly and the light turned back on.
May the good Lord shine a light on you,
Make every song you sing your favorite tune.
May the good Lord shine a light on you,
Warm like the evening sun.
Shine on!
This is truly sad. We watch the light shine every night from our home…it will be missed! We hope that it can be and is repaired quickly….please.
I hate to think that we could lose the light! Some of the most important things in life serve no practical purpose. We need some beauty for its own sake. It’s not just a threatened loss of history.
I hope to see the repair happen quickly! The lighthouse is part of the charm of the island and should remain. Shine little light shine!
I pray that the Coast Guard is able to keep it in a safe place until this dark time passes.
Very sad – went out just one time when we lived at the lighthouse -very dark! Hope it is repaired!