St. Joseph Point Light

The St. Joseph Point Light was a lighthouse on the mainland north of present-day Port St. Joe, Florida, across the entrance to St. Joseph Bay from St. Joseph Point. St. Joseph Bay is enclosed by St. Joseph Peninsula, which runs west some three miles (5 km) from the mainland to Cape San Blas, and then northerly 15mi to St. Joseph Point. An earlier light in the area was the St. Joseph Bay Light.St. Joseph Bay LightSt. Joseph Bay is one of the best natural harbors on the Gulf Coast of the United States, and the town of St. Joseph was founded in its shores in 1836. Unfortunately for the town, no rivers flow into St. Joseph Bay. In an attempt to capture some of the freight that shipped out of Apalachicola, two railroads were constructed from St. Joseph to the Apalachicola River, including the Lake Wimico and St. Joseph Canal and Railroad.Also in 1836, the Legislative Council of the Territory of Florida petitioned Congress for a lighthouse to mark the entrance to St. Joseph Bay. The St. Joseph Bay lighthouse was approved, and was erected on St. Joseph Point, at the end the St. Joseph Peninsula, entering service in early 1839. The lighthouse was a 55ft white conical brick tower, with 15 lamps with 16in reflectors at a height of.