Morant Point Lighthouse is on the easternmost tip of Jamaica, and is the oldest lighthouse on the island.[3]
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| Location | Morant Point Saint Thomas Jamaica |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 17°55′06″N 76°11′03″W / 17.918452°N 76.184297°W[1] |
| Tower | |
| Constructed | 1841  |
| Designed by | Alexander Gordon |
| Built by | George Grove |
| Foundation | concrete[3] |
| Construction | cast iron tower[3] |
| Height | 29 metres (95 ft) |
| Shape | tapered cylindrical tower with balcony and lantern |
| Markings | tower painted with red and white horizontal bands |
| Heritage | national monument |
| Light | |
| First lit | 1841 |
| Focal height | 35 metres (115 ft)[2] |
| Range | 22 nmi (41 km; 25 mi) |
| Characteristic | Fl (3) W 20s.[2] |
Description edit
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[3] and the first cast iron lighthouse built in the Western Hemisphere.[2]
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.[2] To protect against surf during hurricanes, a semicircular masonry wall has been built around the seaward side of the base of the lighthouse.[2]
It was designed by Alexander Gordon and built by George Grove, later a leading writer on music.[2]
It is listed by the Jamaica National Heritage Trust as a historic monument, being "of considerable interest to historians of industrial technology".[3]
It is maintained by the Port Authority of Jamaica, an agency of the Ministry of Transport and Mining.[2]
See also edit
Gallery edit
References edit
- ^ UK Directorate of Overseas Surveys 1:50,000 map of Jamaica (12 sheets), 1958-1973.
- ^ a b c d e f g Rowlett, Russ (2008-10-20). "Lighthouses of Jamaica". The Lighthouse Directory. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
- ^ a b c d e Morant Point Lighthouse Archived 2009-09-08 at the Wayback Machine, Jamaica National Heritage Trust, 2005.
- ^ Morant Point Lighthouse, Frans Eijgenraam, 2000.
External links edit
