Dames Point Light

The Dames Point Light was a Florida lighthouse that marked an eight-foot deep shoal at a sharp bend in the St. Johns River that posed a danger to ships coming to or leaving Jacksonville. In 1857 a small lightship equipped with a foghorn and bell was placed at the Dames Point shoal. During the Civil War, the ship was towed to Jacksonville, and the equipment was stored on shore. The ship didn't survive the Civil War, and the shoal stayed unmarked until 1872.

In 1871, on March 3, Congress budgeted $20,000 for putting in an iron screw-pile lighthouse on the shoal off Dames Point. The lighthouse was framed at the workshop at Lazaretto Point during the winter season of 1871-1872 In March, 1872, workers began construction of the lighthouse and it was completed in June of the same year.

The lighthouse was built on six wood piles, with cast iron sleeves and stood on the shoal in 8 feet of water. It had two fender-piles, one upstream and the other downstream. The lighthouse had a fixed white light and was first exhibited on July 15th in 1872. In 1891 it was reported that lightning had stuck the lighthouse several times, so an additional lightning conductor made of copper was provided to run from the lantern sill to one of the iron piles and then below the lowest water line.

In 1893, a large number of post lights were established in the St. Johns River above and below the Dames Point Light, making use of the lighthouse unnecessary. Use of the Dames Point Lighthouse was discontinued on February 28th, 1893. The lantern and lens were removed and sent to Charleston, South Carolina and the lantern parapet was roofed in with shingles. What remained of the Dames Point Lighthouse was destroyed by fire on Christmas Day (December 25) in 1913.

The location of the Dames Point Lighthouse was near the the present-day north bridge pier of the Dames Point Bridge that crosses the St. Johns River.