Hillsboro Beach in Broward County, Florida — The American South (South Atlantic)
Hillsboro Inlet Lighthouse
Photographed By Tim Fillmon, October 30, 2018
1. Hillsboro Inlet Lighthouse Marker
Inscription.
Hillsboro Inlet Lighthouse. . This lighthouse is one of five skeletal cast-iron towers built by the Russel Wheel and Foundry Co. in Detroit, Michigan. The optical system was built in 1906 by Barbier Benard et Turren in Paris, France. Following its construction, the lighthouse was barged down the Mississippi River, through the Gulf of Mexico and Florida Keys, and then to the Hillsboro River inlet. The giant Fresnel lens, 9 feet in diameter and weighing 2.5 metric tons, floated on a pool of mercury. The first light was fueled by kerosene vapor, which had to be carried up the 175-step lantern room staircase by hand. In the 1920s, the lighthouse was electrified and a 250-watt lightbulb replaced the kerosene lantern. A new 1,000-watt bulb was installed in 1966. In 1995, a hazmat crew decontaminated the toxic mercury after the failure of the flotation system three years earlier. A Coast Guard Auxiliary team, led by Commander Art Makenian restored operation of the classic lens in 2000 using a ball bearing concept that featured a 60-inch bearing made in North Carolina. This lighthouse is one of the brightest in the United States sending out a white flash every 20 seconds, visible up to 28 nautical miles.
This lighthouse is one of five skeletal cast-iron towers built by the Russel Wheel and Foundry Co. in Detroit, Michigan. The optical system was built in 1906 by Barbier Benard et Turren in Paris, France. Following its construction, the lighthouse was barged down the Mississippi River, through the Gulf of Mexico and Florida Keys, and then to the Hillsboro River inlet. The giant Fresnel lens, 9 feet in diameter and weighing 2.5 metric tons, floated on a pool of mercury. The first light was fueled by kerosene vapor, which had to be carried up the 175-step lantern room staircase by hand. In the 1920s, the lighthouse was electrified and a 250-watt lightbulb replaced the kerosene lantern. A new 1,000-watt bulb was installed in 1966. In 1995, a hazmat crew decontaminated the toxic mercury after the failure of the flotation system three years earlier. A Coast Guard Auxiliary team, led by Commander Art Makenian restored operation of the classic lens in 2000 using a ball bearing concept that featured a 60-inch bearing made in North Carolina. This lighthouse is one of the brightest in the United States sending out a white flash every 20 seconds, visible up to 28 nautical miles.
Erected 2015 by Hillsboro Lighthouse Preservation Society, Inc. and the Florida Department of State. (Marker Number F-872.)
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Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Communications • Waterways & Vessels. In addition, it is included in the Lighthouses series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1906.
Location. 26° 15.554′ N, 80° 4.847′ W. Marker is in Hillsboro Beach, Florida, in Broward County. Marker can be reached from Hillsboro Mile (State Road A1A) 0.3 miles north of Bay Drive. Located in the Hillsboro Club gated community entry to the marker and lighthouse is limited. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 907 Hillsboro Mile, Pompano Beach FL 33062, United States of America. Touch for directions.
3. Hillsboro Inlet Lighthouse Marker and Lighthouse
Credits. This page was last revised on August 18, 2020. It was originally submitted on December 23, 2018, by Tim Fillmon of Webster, Florida. This page has been viewed 271 times since then and 24 times this year. Photos:1, 2, 3. submitted on December 23, 2018, by Tim Fillmon of Webster, Florida. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.
