Hillsboro Inlet Lighthouse
Photo: Stan Beckstrom
Active: Yes |
|
Photo: Stan Beckstrom
Active: Yes |
The 144-foot Hillsboro Inlet Lighthouse stands on the north side of the inlet at Hillsboro Beach. Its skeletal iron structure is enclosed around a central stairway and painted white below and black above, a high-contrast daymark visible against sea and sky.
The dangerous gap between the Jupiter and Fowey Rocks lights led mariners to request a station at Hillsboro Inlet for decades. Congress funded the project in 1901, and a prefabricated tower was erected and first lighted in 1907. Its second-order bivalve Fresnel lens produced one of the strongest lights on the East Coast. The station was electrified in 1932 and automated in 1973. Preservation volunteers later helped maintain the lens and tower, keeping the historic optic in active service.
The lighthouse property is not reached by public road. The Hillsboro Lighthouse Preservation Society offers boat transportation and tower access on selected tour dates. Reservations, closed-toe shoes, and the ability to climb a long spiral stair are typically required; confirm details with the society.
The Coast Guard owns the lighthouse, and the Hillsboro Lighthouse Preservation Society supports preservation and public tours. The station remains active with its historic second-order Fresnel lens. Grounds and tower access are limited to scheduled events.