How about this dramatic mountain photo! See if you can determine where and what this photo represents. Hint: it is not located in Georgia. Send your answer to elliott@brack.net and include your hometown.
Rick Krause of Lilburn immediately recognized the recent Mystery Photo: “It’s the Ponce de Leon Inlet Lighthouse on the east coast of Florida, south of Daytona and Port Orange. We stay there on occasion. We were going through photos last night and came across our photo of it.” The photo came from Lou Camerio of Lawrenceville.
Georg Graf of Palmyra, Va. gave some details of it. “The brick and granite lighthouse, built in 1887, stands just five feet short of the candy-striped beacon at Cape Hatteras, making it the second tallest lighthouse in the country. Since electricity wasn’t available at the inlet until 1932, the oil lamp had to be meticulously maintained. But sailors could count on its light every night until the Coast Guard turned it off in 1970, because of the increasing costs of maintenance. The light came back on a decade later. Nine buildings have been restored or rebuilt on the grounds, and they provide a brief glimpse into the highly disciplined life of a lighthouse keeper. Visitors are welcome to hike 203 steps up a spiral staircase to the top of the lighthouse. For the effort, you’ll be rewarded with a panoramic view of the inlet and the long stretch of Daytona Beach to the north.”
Rob Ponder of Duluth reported: “There is a wonderful little restaurant nestled among several live-oaks near its base that our family has patronized many times on our visits to Daytona. Our family has walked up the 203 steps to the top many times.”
Allan Peel of San Antonio, Tex. told us: “This is the third lighthouse built at this location. The first was built in 1835, and because of its poor design, was destroyed by a storm that same year. The second light at this location was built in 1835 and was destroyed during the Second Seminole War (aka Florida War). It was not until 1887 that the current structure was finally completed.” He also added: “The lighthouse saved author and journalist Stephen Crane’s (1871 – 1900) life in 1897 when he was shipwrecked far off the New Smyrna coast (after returning from a job covering the Cuban Revolution) and was able to swim to shore after spotting the small light from this lighthouse.”
Others recognizing this photo include Jay Altman, Columbia, S.C.; Robert Foreman, Grayson; Stew Ogilvie, Lawrenceville; Susan McBrayer, Sugar Hill; Mary Green, Milton; Sara Rawlins, Lawrenceville; and Jane Bane, Buford: “It was the first lighthouse my husband and I visited together – lo, many years ago.”
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