Dade Heritage Trust, founded as a nonprofit in 1972, is a leading voice for historic preservation in Miami-Dade County and works to preserve South Florida’s architectural, cultural, and environmental heritage through advocacy, education, and restoration. In partnership with the Florida Park Service, it raised more than $1.5 million in grants and private donations, along with thousands of volunteer hours, to restore the historic grandeur of the Cape Florida Lighthouse. Using 1855 blueprints, the watchtower and light room were cast in iron with a spiral staircase, and more than 30,000 bricks were recast in Tennessee to match the density of the original bricks. The restoration took more than a year and a half, and the final re-lighting ceremony was held at the park on July 25th 1996. Cape Florida’s 95-foot-tall beacon has served as a navigational aid to seafarers for over 180 years and continues in that role. To help maintain the lighthouse and preserve community heritage, Dade Heritage Trust offers commemorative brick pavers engraved with wording of the donor’s choice and installed along the walkway of the Cape Florida Lighthouse Complex; donors also receive a certificate and a one-year membership in Dade Heritage Trust.