Neighboring Cities: New Smyrna Beach | Port Orange | Edgewater | South Daytona | Daytona Beach Shores
It is said that in 1513 (almost 100 years prior to the failed Jamestown experiment), Juan Ponce DeLeon was exploring the land and waters around the inlet that today bears his name. By the time Spain ceded Florida to the newish United States, live oak lumbering (that premier ship planking that created the legend of "old Ironsides") was the main industry. Replacing a lighthouse on the New Smyrna side of the inlet, the present landmark went into service in 1887 and was the only navigational aid between St. Augustine and Cape Canaveral. The soaring red tower is 175 high (the second tallest in the United States) can be seen 19 miles at sea. Shut down by budget constraints in 1970 the mammoth tower was saved from ruin by the non-profit Ponce DeLeon Inlet Lighthouse Preservation Association, Inc. In 1982, a navigational beacon was re-installed in the tower and once again serves mariners. The Association manages the restored light along with the museum, theater, and store and all are open to the public. In 1963, the Town of Ponce Inlet was incorporated in a manager / council format to control the destiny of the fragile peninsula tip. |