Alligator Reef Light

{{Short description|Lighthouse in Florida, US}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2025}}

{{Infobox lighthouse

| image = Alligator-reef-lh.JPG

| caption = Alligator Reef lighthouse, date unknown

| location = {{convert|4|mi|nmi km|order=flip}} east of Indian Key
near the Matecumbe Keys
Florida
United States

| coordinates = {{coord|24|51|6.43|N|80|37|7.86|W|region:US_type:landmark|display=inline,title}}

| yearlit = 1873

| automated = 1963

| yeardeactivated = 2015

| foundation = Iron piles with platform

| construction = Wrought iron skeleton framework tower

| shape = Octagonal pyramidal tower enclosing stair cylinder, keeper's dwelling on a platform, balcony and lantern

| marking = White tower and keeper's dwelling, black lantern and pile foundations

| height = {{convert|136|ft}}

| focalheight = {{convert|136|ft}}

| lens = First order bivalve Fresnel lens (1873) (original), VRB-25 aerobeacon (1997) (current)

| range = White: {{convert|16|nmi}}
red: {{convert|13|nmi}}

| characteristic = Fl (4) W 60s.
(2 red sectors) 0.2s fl 9.8s ec. 0.2s fl 9.8s ec. 0.2s fl 9.8s ec. 0.2s fl 29.8s ec. Red from 23° to 249° and 047° to 068°.

| racon = "G" (Golf)

| managingagent = United States Coast Guard{{Cite rowlett|fl|date=July 25, 2017|access-date=June 27, 2016}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.uscg.mil/history/weblighthouses/LHFL.asp|title=Historic Light Station Information and Photography Florida|last=|first=|date=December 21, 2016|website=United States Coast Guard|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170519232602/http://www.uscg.mil/history/weblighthouses/LHFL.asp|archive-date=May 19, 2017|access-date=June 27, 2016}}

| module = {{Infobox NRHP

| embed = yes

| name = Alligator Reef Light

| nrhp_type =

| image =

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| added = December 1, 2011

| designated_nrhp_type =

| visitation_num =

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| refnum = 11000860

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}}

}}

Alligator Reef Light is located {{convert|4|nmi}} east of Indian Key, near the Matecumbe Keys of Florida in the United States, north of Alligator Reef itself. The station was established in 1873. It was automated in 1963 and was last operational in July, 2014, and is being replaced by a 16' steel structure with a less powerful light located adjacent to it. The structure is an iron pile skeleton with a platform. The light is {{convert|136|ft}} above the water. It is a white octagonal pyramid skeleton framework on black pile foundation, enclosing a square dwelling and a stair-cylinder. The lantern is black. The original lens was a first order bivalve Fresnel lens. The light characteristic of the original light was: flashing white and red, every third flash red, from SW by W 1/2 W through southward to NE 1/8 E, and from NE by E 3/4 E through northward to SW 3/8 S; flashing red throughout the intervening sectors; interval between flashes 5 seconds. It had a nominal range of {{convert|14|nmi}} in the white sectors and {{convert|11|nmi}} in the red sectors. The new light has a range of approximately {{convert|7|nmi}}.

It is listed as number 980 in the USCG light lists.{{cite uscgll|0||}}{{dead link|date=November 2019}}{{Cite web |url=http://keysnews.com/node/58040 |title=Dying of the light on Alligator Reef|last=Silk|first=Robert|date=September 10, 2014|website=Florida Keys News |access-date=2014-09-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140910195807/http://keysnews.com/node/58040 |archive-date=2014-09-10 |url-status=dead }}

File:Alligator Reef Lighthouse 20230712.jpg