I painted Cape Florida Lighthouse after a week of rain. I drove to Key Biscayne to see the lighthouse on a sunny Florida. Standing behind a canopy of palm trees, the beautiful lighthouse towered against a clear blue sky. The lighthouse was surrounded by mangroves and not condos, thanks to the park's namesake, Bill Baggs. The Bill Baggs State Park was opened in 1967 foiling efforts by developers. 


Cape Florida Lighthouse has witnessed many struggles, hardships, and endured a fire.  It has withstood more than 4 dozen hurricanes, including Hurricane Andrew. Its existence predates the founding of the of Miami.  During the Second Seminole Wars in 1836, the lighthouse was destroyed. The lighthouse was rebuilt in 1846-47.

After falling in the Gulf of Mexico, Cape St. George Lighthouse was restored in 2011 with the support of the local community, state and federal governments. The current lighthouse was constructed from the remains of the second lighthouse in 1852. 

In the 1800s the Gulf Coast of Florida the third busiest port in Florida for transporting cotton. The Cape St. George Lighthouse was built in 1833 to mark Apalachicola Bay. Because the mariners could not see the lighthouse it was rebuilt in 1852 at the southern extreme of St. George Island. After powerful storms, the lighthouse was rebuilt in 1852. Hurricanes, storms and beach erosion would eventually take its toll on the lighthouse. In 2005 the 1852 lighthouse collapsed into the Gulf of Mexico. 

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