The Key West lighthouse is located in Key West, Florida

Key West, Florida

Key West is a city in Monroe County, Florida, United States. The city encompasses the island of Key West, the part of Stock Island north of U.S. 1 , Sigsbee Park , Fleming Key , and Sunset Key...

. The first Key West lighthouse was a 65 feet (19.8 m) tower completed in 1825. It had 15 lamps in 15-inch reflectors. The first keeper, Michael Mabrity, died in 1832, and his widow, Barbara

Barbara Mabrity

Barbara Mabrity was an American lighthouse keeper.Mabrity and her husband, Michael, were assigned to be the keepers of Key West Light in 1826. Michael died of yellow fever in 1832, at which point Barbara was formally appointed to take his place. She maintained the light through hurricanes which...

, became the lighthouse keeper, serving for 32 years. The Great Havana Hurricane of 1846

Great Havana Hurricane of 1846

The Great Havana Hurricane of 1846 was a powerful late season hurricane that caused extensive damage and up to 255 deaths as it moved across Cuba, Florida, and the eastern United States before dissipating over the Canadian Maritimes.-Meteorological history:...

 destroyed the lighthouse; the USS Morris

USS Morris (1846a)

The third USS Morris was a schooner in the United States Navy in commission in 1846.Morris served as a despatch boat during the Mexican War, going into service early in 1846. She was wrecked in a hurricane off Key West, Florida on 11 October 1846....

, which was wrecked during the storm, reported "a white sand beach covers the spot where Key West Lighthouse stood".