Icon restored: Missing leg replaced on historic Sanibel Lighthouse
Winds whipped the waters off Lighthouse Beach Park Tuesday as construction workers prepped the Sanibel Lighthouse for final reconstruction.
The chocolate brown iron structure is a beacon on the island, for the community as well as for visitors; and it's a historical marker that's emblematic to Sanibel and its relaxed, low-key feel.
The lighthouse was hit hard by Hurricane Ian in September 2022, losing one of four pillars that support the popular landmark.
Gone too are two nearby cottages, one of which apparently wiped out the missing leg.
"It's really a symbol of the resilience of the island," said Sanibel spokesman Eric Jackson. "Just the fact that it's still standing (is remarkable). And it's going to be restored and better than ever."
Work there centers mostly around a replacement leg that was lost during the storm. The column is one of four key features that support the 98-foot-tall lighthouse.
No plans for new cottages
The $600,000 project is expected to be largely completed this week, and workers had secured the new leg as of early afternoon Tuesday.
Jackson said there are no plans to replace the historic cottages that flanked the lighthouse, which were also lost during the storm.
The lighthouse itself, he said, is a symbol of the island and is known by locals and visitors alike.
"If you Google Sanibel, you get pictures of the lighthouse," Jackson said. "It's not just the leg and getting the replica of the leg to historical standards, but they're working on the ladder and doing some work around the windows and then there's the whole recoating inside and out."
The beach adjacent to the lighthouse has been open to the public, but the lighthouse itself has been off-limits to foot traffic during the reconstruction.
Michael Galloway is a volunteer and docent at the Sanibel Historic Village and Museum, and he's been visiting the construction site regularly.
"By 3 or 4 o'clock (Tuesday), they got it in place, and they were doing some welding at the joints (Wednesday) morning," Galloway said. "Part of the reconstruction is to add a brand new set of steps. Originally the lighthouse had no steps coming to the ground. Pictures until the 1960s show the two porches of the lighthouse keepers houses, there was a center walkway between the houses. And it went up to the lighthouse."
Galloway said the group plans to hold a rededication ceremony at the lighthouse in the future.
Sanibel Lighthouse first lit in 1884
According to the historic and support group Lighthouse Friends, the central column of the lighthouse is about 20 feet off the ground and has historically been accessed by an external staircase, which was also lost during the storm.
At an original cost of $50,000 in 1883 dollars, the Sanibel Lighthouse, or Point Ybel Lighthouse, was first used in 1884 and was one of the first lighthouses built along the west coast that was north of Key West.
Originally lit by lighthouse keeper Dudley Richardson on Aug. 20, 1884, the Sanibel Lighthouse consists of four large posts that form a pyramid shape, with the actual light crested on top.
The lighthouse was originally fueled by oil, kerosene and gas, according to historical accounts.
A beach renourishment project near the lighthouse will start soon, Jackson said, providing more sand for the heavily eroded shoreline there.
Connect with this reporter: Chad Gillis on Facebook.
This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Restoration of Sanibel Lighthouse wrapping up, no plans for cottages
