Talk about a historic monument along the Gulf Coast, the Biloxi Lighthouse has now stood for more than 170 years! And in the process, weathered everything from a civil war, to devastating hurricanes and more.
We have had the opportunity to visit and photograph quite a few iconic lighthouses on our journey so far. Our West Coast shoreline route was filled with these stunning beacons of the sea from Washington all the way down to California.
But now we find ourselves on the Gulf Coast shoreline, with the opportunity to take in even more of these majestic structures. And wow did we ever find a great one in the the city of Biloxi.
The Biloxi Lighthouse
The 65 foot tall Biloxi Lighthouse soars 65 feet above the Gulf sea waters. When it was erected in 1847, it was one of the first cast iron lighthouses to ever be constructed in the South.
And that cast iron strength has seen it through some pretty devastating times for sure. Most recently, it was a direct blow from Hurricane Katrina in 2005. The massive storm slammed into the Gulf Coast and devastated many cities, including Biloxi.
But one of the few things that remained on the coastline after the storm was the Biloxi Lighthouse. Just like it has stood after previous hurricanes over the previous 150+ years.
Katrina’s storm surge actually soared to cover one-third of the structure. In the process, ruining it’s electrical system and damaging some of the exterior brick walls.
But the old cast-iron structure stayed the course, and became a symbol of strength for Biloxi residents as they rebuilt.
The lighthouse itself is a marvel to see. Climbing some 57 steep steps to the top, you can see waterlines of many previous hurricane storm surges marked in the spiral staircase. A trap door then takes you up to light room to overlook the sea.
Beyond it’s survival skills against storm, the Biloxi Lighthouse is also believed to be the only lighthouse situated in the middle of the highway. Oh the strange but cool facts we learn along the way!
One thing is for sure, the Biloxi Lighthouse is a must see when in Biloxi. And we can’t wait to see many as we head along the Gulf Shores for the next few days and then into Alabama.
Happy Traveling – Jim and Mary
CURRENT TRIP STATUS TO DATE:
- Day 149 of 365
- States : 19/50
- National Parks / Monuments : 20
- Stayed In : Biloxi, Mississippi
- Miles Driven : 35.2
- Total Trip Miles To Date : 16,360.4
- Total Gallons Used : 1,177.00
- Biking Miles : 0.0
- Biking Miles To Date : 158.4
- Hiking Miles : 3.2
- Hiking Miles To Date : 337.8
About Our Living Simple Tour
On September 9th, 2019, we set out in our NuCamp T@B 400 Teardrop Camper to travel to every state. You can check out all of our dates here : Dates for the States
You can follow along by signing up for our twice weekly email updates at the bottom of the page. You can also follow us on Facebook : Live Simple Tour Facebook and Instagram : Live Simple Now Instagram Page.
Did you take a picture of the lighthouse that shows how it looks from a distance? I’m trying to picture it in the middle of the a highway. Those beaches look beautiful, some different than what we have here in Maine.
Travel safely!
That’s a city I want to visit and this lighthouse sealed the deal!
It is really amazing to see.