The Biloxi Lighthouse
There is nothing like seeing that lighthouse looming over the landscape. It has withstood many ravages of time including the storm of storms, Hurricane Katrina. The locals love her, and she has become the symbol of the coast.
The Biloxi Lighthouse was erected in 1848 and was the first cast iron lighthouse in the south. Having been made by the Murray and Hazelhurst Vulcan Works in Baltimore. The iron was wrapped around a brick column. The entire structure is 64 feet tall.
The lighthouse once stood at the waters edge but now it stands in the medium of our highway. Hurricane Katrina damaged the interior of the lighthouse, causing many of the bricks in the lining to come loose. It was fully repaired by 2010 and a blue line was painted on the inside showing the watermarks from previous hurricanes. Katrina's being the highest at 21.5 feet.
She has a rich and magnificent history. There have been more female tenders at the Biloxi Lighthouse than any other lighthouse in the U.S. After the Civil War she was painted black with tar to keep her from rusting. This caused a legend to come about that she was painted black in mourning for the death of Abraham Lincoln. Thankfully they later repainted her white to keep her from blending in with the trees. In 1973 she was placed on the National Register of Historical Places.
No longer just a beacon for those looking for safe harbor, she stands tall as a survivor of Katrina. A symbol for all of us who weathered the storm and despite losing our bricks, somehow we too managed to stand tall.
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