Volusia Bar Light

The Volusia Bar Light was a river lighthouse marking the inlet of the St. Johns River into the south end of Lake George, Florida.

Volusia Bar Light
The Volusia Bar Light in 1915, the year before it was deactivated.
LocationThe inlet of the St. Johns River into Lake George, Florida
Coordinates29°12′24″N 81°34′46″W
Tower
Constructed1886
Foundationscrew piles
Constructionwood building
ShapeSquare tower and lantern on roof of 1½ story wooden dwelling
Light
First lit1886
Deactivated1916
Lens1886, fourth-order Fresnel lens; 1899, fifth-order Fresnel lens

History

The light was removed in 1916, but a foghorn remained active until 1943. The building was burned by vandals in 1974. The foundation pilings still show above the water.

The keeper, A. J. Anderson, was murdered in 1938. Mariners noticed that the light was unattended. His body was found floating face-down in the river after he had been missing for more than a week. An autopsy established that his neck had been broken. The lighthouse had been ransacked, and Anderson had apparently struggled with his attacker. The murder has never been solved.

References

  • "Volusia Bar Light". Lighthouse Depot. Archived from the original on March 11, 2007. Retrieved 1 September 2012.
  • U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Volusia Bar - retrieved February 27, 2006
  • Rowlett, Russ. "Lighthouses of the United States: Eastern Florida and the Keys". The Lighthouse Directory. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Retrieved February 27, 2006.
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