Round Island Lighthouse

Round Island Lighthouse. . The original Round Island lighthouse was built in 1833 on Round Island for $5,895 by Marshall Lincoln and David Henshaw. It was constructed using methods similar to those used on the East coast rather than methods suitable for the Gulf coast and the lighthouse was in disrepair by 1855. The replacement lighthouse was built in 1859 for $7,130.97. The 1859 lighthouse is the one we still have today. The lighthouse contains a fourth order Fresnel lens with a 12-14 mile visibility and was automated around 1940. Although decommissioned on March 20, 1944, it was maintained as a non-illuminated day beacon by the US Coast Guard until September 19, 1945. The General Services Administration declared the property excess in 1955. In 1986, the lighthouse was deeded to the City of Pascagoula and added to the National Register of Historic Places., In the 1990s, the southwest end of Round Island continued to erode. Hurricane George toppled the lighthouse in 1998 prompting the establishment of the Round Island Lighthouse Preservation Society whose mission is to protect the lighthouse. In 2005, Hurricane Katrina eliminated any hope of restoring the lighthouse on Round Island. Utilizing grant funding in 2010, the city barged the base and remnants to the mainland. Over the next five years, additional grants funds, city funds and private donations into the City guiding residents and visitors alike to Pascagoula.