Anclote News

This page contains recent updates on the Anclote Key Lighthouse and its restoration progress and current events as well.

April 20, 2004

The construction of the keeper's home should be completed by this time. The GulfIslands GeoParks website has pictures of the site around the lighthouse as well as the house that is being constructed. After the house is constructed, a full time ranger will be able to live on the island in order to watch over the Anclote Keys State Preserve. Vandalism on the lighthouse and area should come to a halt now that there is someone in the area 24/7.

January 14, 2004

The Anclote Key Lighthouse has now since been relit and is shining its beacon over the waters surrounding it at this moment. The next step in the lighthouse project is to construct keepers' dwellings for full-time park rangers that will stay on the island to watch over the lighthouse and the Anclote Key State Preserve. Construction on these keepers' homes should be underway at the moment. It has also been noted that the Anclote Key State Preserve is accepting bids for a ferry service from the mainland to Anclote Key to see the lighthouse and tour the island. It is unconfirmed as to when this service will be available.

February 2, 2003

From several articles and e-mails, it has been confirmed that the Anclote Key Lighthouse has undertaken the next step toward restoration. The International Chimney Corporation, who also moved the Hilton Head Lighthouse, has received the go-ahead to begin restoration this week. They have until August to complete the restoration, and a re-lighting ceremony will likely take place during September, when the lighthouse will have its 116th anniversary. After all of the abuse and vandalism the tower has endured, it will finally be completely restored to its glory days and once again watch the waters around Anclote Key. Click here for the Pasco Times article. 

September 2, 2002

As far as I have heard, restoration on the tower has not begun, so I would consider the work to be delayed as it was supposed to be well underway by now. The service dock has been completed for a long while and the boardwalk should be completed, but may still be under construction. The boardwalk will make way for construction of a keeper's home to house a full-time park ranger. I am unsure on when the work on the tower will be started or completed. 

November 16, 2001

Many things have been happening over the past year or so. I will start out with saying that restoration on the lighthouse will begin early next year.

After getting an e-mail from one of Jeb Bush's secretaries, I have now confirmed that the Gulf Islands Alliance, which manages the Anclote Key State Preserve and therefore manages the lighthouse, has received a little over $1,000,000 in grants to restore the lighthouse. A service dock has been completed and construction on a boardwalk will be completed any time now if it is not already completed. As soon as the boardwalk is done, construction on a keeper's house for a full time ranger will begin. It will not be until early next year that restoration and stabilization will start on the lighthouse tower itself. The lighthouse will be completely restored, but I have yet to have heard if the tower will be re-lit or not.

January 4, 2002

As mentioned in the above update, work on stabilization and restoration will begin soon! I have not heard yet whether the tower's restoration will continue due to the events in New York and funding. But, the GulfIslands GeoParks had received the grants for restoration before these incidents, so who knows? If you do know what is going on at the tower, please let me know by e-mailing me. 

Keep coming back for recent updates!