Morant Point Lighthouse

Morant Point Lighthouse is on the easternmost tip of Jamaica.[2]

Morant Point Lighthouse
Morant Point Lighthouse.
Jamaica
Morant Point Lighthouse (Caribbean)
LocationMorant Point
Saint Thomas
Jamaica
Coordinates17.918452°N 76.184297°W / 17.918452; -76.184297[1]
Year first lit1841
Foundationconcrete[2]
Constructioncast iron tower[2]
Tower shapetapered cylindrical tower with balcony and lantern
Markings / patterntower painted with red and white horizontal bands
Tower height29 metres (95 ft)
Focal height35 metres (115 ft)[3]
Range22 nautical mile 
CharacteristicFl (3) W 20s.[3]
Admiralty numberJ5282[3]
NGA number13860[3]
ARLHS numberJAM-004[3]
Heritagenational monument 

Erected in 1841 by Kru men from Africa (who were among the free Africans brought to Jamaica in the period following emancipation), it is the oldest lighthouse on the island[2] and the first cast iron lighthouse built in the Western Hemisphere.[3]

It consists of a 30 m (100 ft) iron tube, cast in London in 1841, which has a diameter of 5 m (18 ft) at the base and 3 m (11 ft) at the cap[4] with lantern and gallery, painted with red and white horizontal bands.[3] To protect against surf during hurricanes, a semicircular masonry wall has been built around the seaward side of the base of the lighthouse.[3]

It was designed by Alexander Gordon and built by George Grove, later a leading writer on music.[3]

It is listed by the Jamaica National Heritage Trust as a historic monument, being "of considerable interest to historians of industrial technology".[2]

It is maintained by the Port Authority of Jamaica, an agency of the Ministry of Transport and Works.[3]

See also

References
  1. UK Directorate of Overseas Surveys 1:50,000 map of Jamaica (12 sheets), 1958-1973.
  2. Morant Point Lighthouse Archived 2009-09-08 at the Wayback Machine, Jamaica National Heritage Trust, 2005.
  3. Rowlett, Russ (2008-10-20). "Lighthouses of Jamaica". The Lighthouse Directory. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
  4. Morant Point Lighthouse, Frans Eijgenraam, 2000.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.