Word is that ownership of Florida’s six offshore reef lighthouses could be changing hands in the not very distant future, under the provisions of the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act of 2000.
If no nonprofit organizations or other suitable entities step forward, the structures could potentially be sold to the general public via online auction.
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Candace was the US Lighthouse Society historian from 2016 until she passed away in August 2018. For 30 years, her work involved lighthouse history. She worked with the National Park Service and the Council of American Maritime Museums. She was a noted author and was considered the most knowledgable person on lighthouse information at the National Archives. Books by Candace Clifford include: Women who Kept the Lights: a History of Thirty-eight Female Lighthouse Keepers , Mind the Light Katie, and Maine Lighthouses, Documentation of their Past.
The Florida Keys Reef Lights Foundation (FKRLF) was founded years ago to preserve the Reef Lights. They have applied for ownership of Sand Key Lighthouse under NHLPA which is still under review. The organization needs more public support and involvement, especially among Keys residents. One organization handling most or all of the reef lights will be better able to coordinate the major restoration projects than four or five different owners.
http://www.floridakeysreeflightsfoundation.wildapricot.org/
Thanks for your helpful reply, Josh! We wish all the best to FKRLF in this worthy effort to save these gems of the Florida reefs.