Island residents and also many who lived on the mainland, had tried for over 50 years, before Congress finally approved $50,000 for its construction. It was the first lighthouse on Florida's Gulf coast north of Key West. It was a carbon copy of the Cape San Blas Lighthouse in the Panhandle, which was made to withstand strong hurricane winds.
A metal factory in New Jersey, made the ironwork which was sent by a sailing ship to the island. However about two miles before reaching Sanibel, the ship hit a sandbar and sank. A crew of hard-hat divers from Key West recovered all but two of the pieces for the tower.
Work on the foundation began in March of 1884 and it was completed in late summer. It stands around 98 feet tall and has an internal winding stairway of over 120 steps lead to the lantern house. There were also two houses built for the keepers, which still stand today. Those two houses received indoor plumbing, bathrooms and enclosed porches in 1923. At that time, the head light was also switched from kerosene to acetylene gas. It was automated in 1949 and is still operational. The lighthouse was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. The lighthouse and both houses where city employees now live, are closed to the public.
