Construction of the first Key West Lighthouse began in 1825 on Whitehead's Point, near today's Southernmost Point. When the tower was finished in early 1826, the whitewashed brick structure stood 47 feet tall from its foundation to the base of its black, iron lantern. For twenty years, the original tower was the tallest structure on the island. A violent hurricane destroyed the original lighthouse and keeper's dwelling in 1846. A replacement Key West Lighthouse was built further inland, in its present day location, in 1848. At the base, its brick walls were constructed 4.5 feet thick, tapering to 2.5 feet at the top some 46 feet above. Light was provided by thirteen Lewis-Argand whale-oil lamps with silvered, parabolic reflectors. Upon completion, the tower had an overall height of approximately 60 feet. Ten years into operation, a state-of-the-art, French-made, third-order Fresnel lens was acquired for the Key West Lighthouse to replace the whale-oil lamps and, in 1895, a 20-foot extension was added to the tower making it easier for mariners to see from their ships in the Florida Strait.
