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Listen: The FolkFolk ProgramPonce de Leon Lighthouse - New Smyrna Beach, Florida.
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The 175-foot lighthouse at Ponce de Leon Inlet, tallest in Florida and third-tallest in the nation, was the inspiration for Stephen Crane's famous short story, The Open Boat. Originally named Mosquito Inlet Light Station, the lighthouse was first constructed in 1835. In December 1835, Seminole warriors attacked the lighthouse, smashed the glass lantern and burned its wooden stairs. The ongoing Second Seminole War (1835-1842) prevented repairs to the structure, which collapsed the following year. A new tower was completed in 1887, despite being rocked by the 1886 Great Charleston Earthquake. In 1933, an electric rotating third-order Fresnel lens was installed. Decommissioned in 1970, the optic was restored to service and relighted in 1982 with an aero-marine beacon. It now serves as a museum and a working private aid to navigation. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972 and designated a National Historic Landmark in 1998.
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