Mayport Lighthouse?

[Jason]

How have I not heard that Mayport has a lighthouse?  I was browsing around on Google Maps and found one called "St. Johns River Lighthouse"



Its on the right hand side of the above image almost inline with the dead end of Palmer St.

Did anyone else know about this?  Is it on base?

[Jason]

Answered my own question...

http://www.lighthousefriends.com/light.asp?ID=859

The future of the lighthouse has been the center of much debate. Some leaders envision the lighthouse now guiding tourists, instead of ships, into the area. However, with the lighthouse standing on Naval property behind a chain-link fence, public access is often restricted. A study was commissioned to determine the cost of moving the lighthouse to Mayport's river front. The answer: $657,600. Wouldn’t it just be a lot easier and cheaper to move the fence?

A plaque on the tower records that the City of Jacksonville and Jacksonville Historic Landmarks Commission presented a preservation ward on May 12, 1983 for the rehabilitation of the lighthouse. A second plaque affixed to the lighthouse shows that the lighthouse is on the National Register of Historic Sites. The Navy and Mayport Lighthouse Association are working together to protect, restore, and interpret the lighthouse.

[Jason]

Mayport has TWO lighthouses.

http://www.lighthousefriends.com/light.asp?ID=344

Description: Naval Station Mayport covers 3,409 acres and is home to an aircraft carrier, twenty-one other naval ships, several helicopter squadrons, and two lighthouses. The oldest of the two lighthouses, the St. Johns River Lighthouse, was active between 1859 and 1930 and is tucked away in the northwest corner of the station, 1.8 miles from the coast. The station’s second lighthouse, the St. Johns Lighthouse, is located right on the coast, about a mile south of the St. Johns River. The St. Johns River Lighthouse was replaced by the St. Johns Lightship, anchored seven miles offshore. The lightship served for over two decades, but the expense of staffing and maintaining the floating light, led the Coast Guard to build the modern St. Johns Lighthouse, which replaced the lightship on October 1, 1954.

[thelakelander]

The answer: $657,600. Wouldn’t it just be a lot easier and cheaper to move the fence?

I'm sure the port authority does not want to pay to move it, but it would be an interesting attraction for a park/themed history museum/cultural spot that could be a part of their proposed cruise ship terminal.  Having a decent destination on land would draw people into the area that aren't catching cruise ships.  This would bring more exposure to the terminal's retail spaces, Mayport's business strip and seafood markets.

[Ocklawaha]

The future of the lighthouse has been the center of much debate. Some leaders envision the lighthouse now guiding tourists, instead of ships, into the area. However, with the lighthouse standing on Naval property behind a chain-link fence, public access is often restricted. A study was commissioned to determine the cost of moving the lighthouse to Mayport's river front. The answer: $657,600. Wouldn’t it just be a lot easier and cheaper to move the fence?

Lake, I love the old light but as a former navy guy it is surrounded by sensitive high tech Naval "things". Even moving it might be a problem - as though money wasn't a problem. Moving the fence to allow civilians near those "toys" would be insane-out-of-the-question. Also just from a safety standpoint, you don't want them that near the runways.

Wonder if we could spur the lighthouse preservation and movement to the new Terminal site? Wouldn't it look great by the new shrimp boat basin?

OCKLAWAHA

[Jason]

If it were to be moved, I wonder if it could also be recommissioned.  Its definitely not the tallest lighthouse around but at over 60', it would still be quite the engineering feat to move it to the Mayport shoreline.

[FlaBoy]

Any hope of creating some sort of historic marker outside the fence here or something. For a lighthouse constructed in 1858 pre-antebellum times, and one of the oldest buildings in Jax, this thing gets to love. This is something that Congressman Rutherford could look at having at least a marker or some sort of narrow path to the lighthouse base.