Whether you are a Jamaican or a tourist, lighthouses are great attractions to explore. Their 19-century design gives a feeling of nostalgia. The panoramic view from atop is breathtaking.
Jamaica’s first lighthouse was built in 1841 but they have been around for centuries. Guiding ships into ports and protecting them from dangerous reefs.
Many people don’t know their significance or care. I was once such a person. Since discovering the movie “Light House” I started taking notice of these unique monuments.
They are prominent and hard to miss. Like so many beautiful things in Jamaica people don’t take notice. When you live in a garden, sometimes you take beautiful flowers for granted. You are not in awe of their beauty because they are common. You only take notice when somebody points it out. Even then you some people still don’t appreciate it.
Jamaica’s lighthouse is a perfect example. Most Jamaicans don’t appreciate or care about them. To some, they are just old relics that serve no purpose.
Lighthouse brief history
Lighthouses have developed from a fire on a hill used to guide ships into ports, to sophisticated signaling equipment controlled remotely. Construction of these monuments adapts to improvement in technology getting better with each advancement.
In ancient times lighthouse function as a marker for port entrance rather than warming from dangerous reefs and rocks. However, the transatlantic trade caused a shift in the early eighteen century. They became important tools used to assist ships with navigation and warn them of hazards.
There was an explosion in construction to keep up with the rapid expansion of the shipping industry. Improvement in technology made it possible to construct more power lighthouse.
As navigation technology improved in the twentieth-century, reliance on lighthouses declined. They are expensive to maintain and were not profitable. So they use a cheaper alternative.
The modern construction method and automation eliminated the need for lighthouse keepers. There is no need for regular servicing so a full-time worker is unnecessary.
Despite the reduction in numbers there still many worldwide. Some still perform their original function while others are heritage sites and tourist attractions.
The history of lighthouses in Jamaica
Although Jamaica was a major transshipment hub, the first lighthouse did not come to the island until 1841, seven years after emancipation. A crew of free African men built it. These men were among free Africans who came to Jamaica after the British abolished slavery. Morant Point in Saint Thomas is where this monument is located.
It was the first of its kind in the western hemisphere to use cast iron for construction. Alexander Gordon designed the Morant Point lighthouse but constructed by George Grove.
The Jamaica National Heritage Trust list this lighthouse as a historic monument of considerable importance to historians and industrial technology.
In 1886 the government passed the law for the construction of lighthouses to aid ships safely navigate Jamaicas water. This is forty-five years after the construction of the Morant Point lighthouse.
The seven lighthouses protected by the Jamaica National Heritage Trust (JNHT) all have a unique history.
Lighthouses in Jamaica
There are seven lighthouses in Jamaica, they are all historic monuments that the Jamaica National Heritage Trust (JNHT) protects. They are at strategic points on the Island coast and are functional.
Morant Point Lighthouse
They constructed this lighthouse in 1841 at the southern end of Saint Thomas. It was the first lighthouse built in Jamaica. it is a tube made entirely of cast iron ship from England. It was the first of its kind in the western hemisphere. The Morant Point lighthouse is one hundred feet long with a diameter of five feet at the base, and three feet at the cap.
Folly Point Lighthouse
Folly Point Lighthouse built in 1888 in the parish of Portland. The fireproofed tower is masonry constructed. It flashes a white light of 2 seconds duration followed by 8 seconds of darkness. The light is visible for a distance of thirteen miles.
Folly lighthouse is popular with tourists that visit Portland. They also visit the folly ruins which is an abandoned mansion built in the early 1900s.
Negril Point Lighthouse
At, the extreme western end of the Island is the Negril Point Lighthouse. This white 66 feet tall concrete tower, light is elevated 100 feet above sea level. The lighthouse has an automatic white light that flashes every two seconds.
The French company Bubbler & Bernard build the Negril Lighthouse in 1894 on a tank 14 feet deep. To keep the tower balanced and secure in the event of an earthquake they fill this tank with water.
This cylindrical tower has an elaborated light enclosed in a metal and glass protector on top. The Negril Lighthouse use solar Energy .
Tourist often visit this lighthouse, you can also view it from Ricks Cafe.
The Lovers Leap Lighthouse
Lover’s Leap Lighthouse is in Saint Elizabeth and is the most recent lighthouse built in Jamaica by the Port Authority. Standing at approximately 1600 feet above sea level. Three sources powered this lighthouse, electricity, a generator, and a set of batteries. There is an observatory deck and restaurants nearby.
Portland Point Lighthouse
The Portland Point Lighthouse is in Clarendon. It has the highest tower in the Island, standing at a height of 145 feet. This lighthouse is at latitude 170 44′ 9″ north and 770 9′ 58″ west on the summit of the Portland Ridge near the southernmost point of the Island. The Tower flashes a white light every 15 seconds.
Plumb Point Lighthouse
The Plumb Point lighthouse on Great Plumb Point (between the Norman Manley International Airport and Port Royal) is the second oldest lighthouse in Jamaica.
Built-in 1853, eleven years after the Morant Point lighthouse, it is the second oldest on the Island. Since its construction the lights have only gone out once. That was during the 1907 earthquake.
Local sandstone makes the bottom half while cast iron constructs the top half. Plumb Point Lighthouse has two lights, a red beam pointing in a southerly direction and a white light pointing in an easterly direction.
Galina Lighthouse
Near Port Maria in Saint Mary is the Galina Lighthouse. Made of concrete and painted white, this tower is over 40 feet high. The light is approximately 60 feet above sea level. This Lighthouse flashes a white light of 1.2 seconds duration, followed by 10.8 seconds of darkness.
It is solar powered.
Conclusion
You will learn about Jamaica’s history while visiting some amazing locations when you explore lighthouses.
If you are on the north coast Negril Point Lighthouse is the best place to start. It is a superb place to watch the sunset.
There is a caretaker who will be happy to give you a tour however it might come at a minimal cost.
Hop over to Rick’s Cafe when you are finished, go for a dive or just have a drink and watch the sunset.
Plumb Point Lighthouse is perfect if you are in Kingston. There are plans to develop it as a tourist attraction but that is still not complete. You might not get access to this property from the primary entrance. However, you can enter from the shoreline. When you are done trod over to Port Royal, it is about 15 minutes away.
Click here to learn more about Port Royal.
For, those in Portland or Saint Mary Folly lighthouse is an excellent place to start your exploration. It is possible to get close to this monument but the doors are close and there is no caretaker on sight. While you are there, check out Folly ruins, or take a boat ride over to Monkey Island.
Of all the lighthouse mentioned Lover’s leap lighthouse is the only one developed to accommodate tourists. There is an observatory where you can view the rugged coastline. Restaurants are on the property and also a trail that goes down to the sea.
Start exploring. You will be glad you did.
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