Lost Lighthouse To Be Lost Again
By Sue Clark on Jan 3, 2008 in Featured 
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Mississippi’s Forgotten Lighthouse
The Biloxi Lighthouse is not the only lighthouse in Mississippi, although it’s the one featured on the license plate. Long abandoned, but not forgotten, Round Island Lighthouse is one that a group has been trying to repair. But multiple hurricanes have dealt the final blow to restoration efforts by the Round Island Lighthouse Society to save a battered lighthouse and move it to the mainland. According to a story in the Sun Herald, the city of Pascagoula, Mississippi and the Society, while still highly interested in going ahead with plans to move the lighthouse from its site on an island four miles south of the city, have put the plans on hold. Because of the devastation from Katrina and FEMA’s bungling of the whole disaster recovery, most of the members of the society have lost or had damaged their own homes, and no longer have the time or spirit for the lighthouse.
Multiple Hurricanes
The lighthouse has been hit multiple times by hurricanes, including one in 1860, only 27 years after being built (1833). Erosion had crept up to the base of the tower by 1854, and had been shored up with pilings driven into the sand. A new 50 foot tall tower was completed in 1859. The next year, then-keeper Louis Fischer and his family huddled in the tower as water swept over the island and washed their house and all their belongings into the Gulf.
The light was deactivated in the 1940s, and was given to Pascagoula in 1986. Twelve years later, Hurricane Georges slammed into the states, and toppled the tower into the water. Photographed by Bob and Sandra Shanklin, this photo below shows the damage.
Not to be defeated, the Lighthouse Society used the FEMA funds for historic preservation to hire Compton Engineering to pull the light out of the water until further funding would be available. The company has some good photos at their site. They built sand up around the base, to keep it protected for the time being. The top was taken to the Port authority in Bayou Casotte for storage.
Along Comes Katrina
The devastation of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, however, washed the caisson protection away, and the sand and beach around it. According to the story:
Pascagoula historian Liz Ford said the group has taken a “leave of absence at the moment,” and although they’re not having regular meetings, the officers still communicate with each other regularly. “We hope before long activities will pick up with the lighthouse and we will be back in full force,” Ford said.
It is sad to see that Katrina is still affecting the lives of so many of our citizens. And in the wake of its devastation, almost forgotten lights like Round Island are put on the back burner.
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January 6th, 2008 at 2:23 am
Wow! I live just miles from the Biloxi Lighthouse!
It’s nice to see one from my neck of the woods! I also wanted to wish you a Happy New Year:)
Bobby Revell’s last blog post..Bobby’s Batch #1
January 6th, 2008 at 9:17 am
Happy New Year to you, also, Bobby!
Yes, Mississippi has more than just the one. Biloxi may be the only working lighthouse, but the Round Island and Ship Island ones were no less important in our history. I hate to see any lighthouse lost. Katrina did an awful lot of damage (Ship Island was also destroyed).