Morant Point Lighthouse
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| Location | Morant Point Saint Thomas Jamaica |
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| 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] |
Morant Point Lighthouse is on the easternmost tip of Jamaica, and is the oldest lighthouse on the island.[3]
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
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Gallery
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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
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| Authority control databases: Geographic |
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