Hillsboro Inlet Florida
Harbour Lights #444

When Congress recognized the need for a lighthouse at Hillsboro Inlet in 1901, they planned for a massive skeletal tower to guide vessels approaching the narrow bay. What they didn’t know is that the lighthouse, gracing the shores near Pompano Beach, would become one of America’s jewels - warming the hearts of lighthouse lovers across the nation.

After completion in Detroit in 1906, the iron sentinel was shipped to Florida. It made its way through Lake Erie, down Lake Michigan, onto the Mississippi River, over the Gulf of Mexico and around Key West until it reached its final destination, 4,000 miles away. The pre-assembled tower was set atop six huge iron piles. This was accompanied by five buildings made for the Head Keeper and his two assistants to use.

Illuminated in 1907, the gorgeous Fresnel lens and turning mechanism were created by Barbier Benard et Turenne of Paris, France. The crowning jewel of the Hillsboro Inlet Lighthouse, the second order bi-valve Fresnel lens became known as the “Big Diamond” by the locals who were in awe of the magnificent beacon.
First illuminated by a vaporized kerosene lamp, the beacon needed constant tending, with fueling and cleaning requiring around-the-clock attention. Over the years, more than forty-four Keepers have tended the light at Hillsboro Inlet, with some lasting for 13 days and others staying for 35 years.

Housing a winding stairway in the center of the tower, this striking structure is an excellent day mark, with a white lower portion to contrast with the surrounding foliage and a black upper portion to distinguish it against the bright daytime sky.

Hillsboro Inlet was automated in 1974. Many obstacles stand in the way of this sentinel’s survival, including a damaged turning mechanism, the removal and subsequent replacement of the Fresnel lens, new electrical wiring, and even contamination by mercury vapor.

This magnificent station remains operational and an active aid to navigation, due to the continued support and cooperation between the U.S. Coast Guard and the Hillsboro Lighthouse Preservation Society. Members of the Florida Lighthouse Society joined forces and provided additional support. With pens in hand, these concerned activists wrote to local and federal politicians, raising funds for restoration, culminating in a grand re-lighting ceremony in 1999.