Carrabelle, Florida

Making our way through the Florida Panhandle, we stopped to enjoy some time in Carrabelle, Florida.

Founded in 1877, Carrabelle is a charming town that has been battered by multiple hurricanes. In 1899, a hurricane struck that severly damaged the town. In total, 61 hurricanes have hit the resilient town that keeps bouncing back. Carrabelle is also known for being a fishing village. For over 100 years, the waters nearby have been used to harvest fish, shrimp, and oysters.

There is also another noteworthy reason to visit this delightful town–the Crooked River Lighthouse. Located approximately a mile west of Carrabelle, the lighthouse is nestled in the woods and provides an amazing opportunity to delve into some history.

This beautiful lighthouse is the tallest on Florida’s Forgotten Coast and measures 103 ft. tall. Built in 1895 to replace the Dog Island Lighthouse in 1873, it has an iron skeleton with 128 steps to climb to reach the top. The climb was not too difficult and the steps were wider than in some lighthouses we’ve climbed, which made it much easier. It was definitely worth the effort to get to the top! The view of the acrylic replica fourth order bivalve Fresnel lens and the area surrounding the lighthouse were absolutely amazing to see! The Crooked River Lighthouse was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on December 1, 1978.

Climbing the Crooked River Lighthouse:

We also enjoyed visiting the Keeper’s House Museum. The museum contains the original 1894 fourth order bi-valve Fresnel lens! According to their website: “This unique lens is a rare, bi-valve open face design featuring a 90 degree group flash and is made of brass and glass prism rings.” The lens was made in Paris, France and this is the first bi-valve lens used in the United States in a lighthouse. There’s also a really nice gift shop in the museum.

The museum also had some amazing history. There is an account of the Hurricane of 1873 written by the Hon. John M. Caldwell (the assistant keeper of the Dog Island Lighthouse, which was destroyed in the hurricane). Mr. Caldwell and his wife ran by foot to the tallest hill of the island, which had an altitude of 80 ft., to escape the wrath of the storm. They had to cling to scrub oaks a bit farther down the lee side of the hill to avoid being blown away! After the storm cleared, they climbed back to the top and saw that the lighthouse was no longer there and parts of the island were washed away. Another storm came and these poor people were again out in the rain with nothing but what they had ran out wearing. Badly bruised, battered, and beaten they made it through and survived while the lighthouse did not.

We really found this museum interesting and the volunteer was super helpful and friendly. It was an absolute joy to talk about the lighthouses with her! For more information on the Crooked River Lighthouse and the wonderful events hosted there, please visit their website: https://www.crookedriverlighthouse.com/

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