Hillsboro Inlet Light
Encyclopedia
Hillsboro Inlet Light is located on the north side of Hillsboro Inlet
, midway between Fort Lauderdale
and Boca Raton
, in Hillsboro Beach
, Florida
. The light marks the northern limit of the Florida Reef, an underwater coral
formation on the lower east coast of the state.
In 1901, the United States Lighthouse Establishment persuaded Congress to authorize the construction of a lighthouse in the dark area between Jupiter Inlet Light
and Fowey Rocks Light
. In the second half of the 20th century, this inlet became an increasingly busy waterway. Hillsboro Inlet Light is considered one of the most powerful lights in the world with a beam that can be seen 28 miles (45.1 km).
The octagonal iron
pyramidal tower was built at Russel Wheel & Foundry Co in Detroit, Michigan, moved to the Hillsboro Inlet Light Station in 1906, and lit on March 7, 1907. Its second-order bivalve Fresnel lens
emits a light measuring 5.5 megacandelas and is placed 136 feet (41 m) above sea level. Automated in 1974, the light acts both as a coastal navigational aide and as a support to local water traffic.
The light was relit in 2000, with 400 pounds (180 kg) of mercury replaced by a specially designed ball-bearing assembly.
In 2003, Hillsboro Inlet Light was honored with a 37¢ U.S. postage stamp.
Hillsboro Inlet
Hillsboro Inlet in Pompano Beach, Florida, USA is an inlet from the Atlantic Ocean that connects the ocean to the Intracoastal Waterway.- External links :*...
, midway between Fort Lauderdale
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Fort Lauderdale is a city in the U.S. state of Florida, on the Atlantic coast. It is the county seat of Broward County. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 165,521. It is a principal city of the South Florida metropolitan area, which was home to 5,564,635 people at the 2010...
and Boca Raton
Boca Raton, Florida
Boca Raton is a city in Palm Beach County, Florida, USA, incorporated in May 1925. In the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 74,764; the 2006 population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau was 86,396. However, the majority of the people under the postal address of Boca Raton, about...
, in Hillsboro Beach
Hillsboro Beach, Florida
Hillsboro Beach is a town in Broward County, Florida, United States. The town was named for the Earl of Hillsborough, who received large grants of land from the King of England while Florida was an English possession. The strip along State Road A1A includes an exclusive stretch called "Hillsboro...
, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
. The light marks the northern limit of the Florida Reef, an underwater coral
Coral
Corals are marine animals in class Anthozoa of phylum Cnidaria typically living in compact colonies of many identical individual "polyps". The group includes the important reef builders that inhabit tropical oceans and secrete calcium carbonate to form a hard skeleton.A coral "head" is a colony of...
formation on the lower east coast of the state.
In 1901, the United States Lighthouse Establishment persuaded Congress to authorize the construction of a lighthouse in the dark area between Jupiter Inlet Light
Jupiter Inlet Light
The Jupiter Inlet Light is located in Jupiter, Florida, on the north side of the Jupiter Inlet. The site for the lighthouse was chosen in 1853. It is located between Cape Canaveral Light and Hillsboro Inlet Light. The lighthouse was designed by then Lieutenant George G. Meade of the Bureau of...
and Fowey Rocks Light
Fowey Rocks Light
Fowey Rocks Light is located seven miles southeast of Cape Florida on Key Biscayne. The lighthouse was completed in 1878, replacing the Cape Florida lighthouse. It was automated on May 7, 1974 and is still in operation today. The structure is cast iron, with a screw-pile foundation, a platform and...
. In the second half of the 20th century, this inlet became an increasingly busy waterway. Hillsboro Inlet Light is considered one of the most powerful lights in the world with a beam that can be seen 28 miles (45.1 km).
The octagonal iron
Iron
Iron is a chemical element with the symbol Fe and atomic number 26. It is a metal in the first transition series. It is the most common element forming the planet Earth as a whole, forming much of Earth's outer and inner core. It is the fourth most common element in the Earth's crust...
pyramidal tower was built at Russel Wheel & Foundry Co in Detroit, Michigan, moved to the Hillsboro Inlet Light Station in 1906, and lit on March 7, 1907. Its second-order bivalve Fresnel lens
Fresnel lens
A Fresnel lens is a type of lens originally developed by French physicist Augustin-Jean Fresnel for lighthouses.The design allows the construction of lenses of large aperture and short focal length without the mass and volume of material that would be required by a lens of conventional design...
emits a light measuring 5.5 megacandelas and is placed 136 feet (41 m) above sea level. Automated in 1974, the light acts both as a coastal navigational aide and as a support to local water traffic.
The light was relit in 2000, with 400 pounds (180 kg) of mercury replaced by a specially designed ball-bearing assembly.
In 2003, Hillsboro Inlet Light was honored with a 37¢ U.S. postage stamp.
External links
- The Hillsboro Lighthouse Preservation Society - Lighthouse information and 2 minute video with aerial view, internal views and description of lens.