Entry No. 20 — the Miami file — filed under: lighthouse
Cape Florida Lighthouse, Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park
On July 23, 1836, Seminole warriors attacked the lighthouse during the Second Seminole War, torching the base and igniting stored lamp oil; assistant keeper John Thompson's Black helper Aaron Carter was killed, and Thompson survived a full day trapped atop the tower with three rifle balls in each foot and the stairway burned away beneath him before Navy schooners spotted the smoke and rescued him.
The story
You don't expect a manicured state park at the tip of Key Biscayne to hold one of the grimiest standoff stories in Florida history. On July 23, 1836, during the Second Seminole War, Seminole warriors attacked the isolated lighthouse, setting fire to its wooden door. Inside, assistant keeper John Thompson and Aaron Carter, a Black man working alongside him, scrambled up the spiral stairs as stored lamp oil ignited at the base, turning the brick tower into a chimney of roaring fire.
Carter was killed in the chaos. Trapped at the top gallery with the wooden stairs incinerating beneath him and three rifle balls lodged in each of his feet, Thompson made a desperate play: he pitched a keg of gunpowder down the burning shaft. The explosion blew out the remaining inner stairs and smothered the fire, leaving him stranded on a narrow iron frame high above the blaze. He spent a full day roasting on that ledge under the sun before Navy schooners spotted the smoke, anchored offshore, and hauled him down by rope.
The tower standing at the point today isn't the original shell—it was rebuilt taller after the fire, making it the oldest standing structure in South Florida. When you stand on the shoreline where the Navy ships anchored, you are looking at the exact patch of water that saved a man stranded 65 feet up a blackened chimney.
What it's like
Drive to the southern tip of Key Biscayne and follow the paved path past the shade trees down to the keeper's cottage. Access to the interior of the tower depends entirely on ranger-led climbs, so you'll want to verify current tour times before heading out. The spiral climb inside gets hot and tight in a hurry, but stepping out onto the gallery gives you an uninterrupted view across Biscayne Bay toward Stiltsville. Bring real walking shoes for the steps, carry water, and plan around the tour windows.
The move: Take the ranger-led climb up Florida's oldest standing structure (rebuilt taller after the attack), then walk the shoreline where the rescue ships anchored and picture the keeper's one-day wait.
- 📍 Key Biscayne
- 💸 $$
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Indoors
Where: 1200 S Crandon Blvd, Key Biscayne, FL 33149
Hours: Added 2026-07-19 — confirm current hours before you go.
⚠ Seasonal or scheduled — always check before you go.
Pair it with
- Stiltsville — Look out from the lighthouse shoreline toward Biscayne Bay's shallow flats to see these isolated wooden structures sitting out in open water.
- Sunset Cruises on Biscayne Bay — Biscayne Nature Center — Stay on the key to board a evening boat cruise narrated by historian Cesar Becerra covering the bay's coastal history and wrecks.
- Miami City Cemetery — Head into mainland Miami to trace the city's early pioneer era at its 1897 municipal burial ground.
Good to know
What happened during the 1836 lighthouse attack?
Seminole warriors set fire to the base of the tower, igniting lamp oil. Assistant keeper John Thompson survived by throwing a keg of gunpowder down the shaft to extinguish the fire, though Aaron Carter was killed and Thompson was left trapped at the top for a full day with bullet wounds in both feet until Navy schooners rescued him.
Can you climb to the top of the lighthouse?
Yes, ranger-led climbs are offered to take visitors up the spiral stairs to the top deck, though you should confirm the current tour schedule before visiting.
Is this the oldest building in South Florida?
Yes, the rebuilt lighthouse structure stands as Florida's oldest standing structure.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: Wikipedia · Official site
last checked: 2026-07-19