Located in Biloxi, Mississippi, the Bilox Lighthouse has come to define the city in multiple ways over the decades. Surviving multiple wars and natural disasters, the monument has become a signature icon of Biloxi as well as a symbol of the city’s resolve and resilience, highlighting what it can mean for a monument to both facilitate economic activity and resonate with a community in a profound manner.
From the Civil War to Hurricane Katrina
Standing 65-feet tall from its base to the tip of the weather vane at the top of the structure, the Biloxi Lighthouse was erected in 1848 to become one of the first cast-iron lighthouses in the South. It provided a guiding light at night and daytime landmark for paddle-wheel steamboats, lumber ships and various other types of boats. Occupied by Union forces during the American Civil War, it was returned to service in 1865.
Operated by the Younghan family and other civilians until 1939, the Biloxi Lighthouse became automated in 1940, at which point the U.S. Coast Guard assumed responsibility for the light’s operation. It was decommissioned in 1967. After being declared surplus property in 1968, the Biloxi Lighthouse was deeded to the City of Biloxi, which eventually opened it to public tours.
The lighthouse was originally part of a complex that included a keeper’s house and related structures that were lost during Hurricanes’ Camille and Katrina, two of the deadliest hurricanes that have ever hit the United States. Water reached 21.5 feet above mean sea level inside the tower during Hurricane Katrina and caused extensive damage, causing the lighthouse to close down. In March of 2010, the city re-opened the lighthouse to public tours after a long restoration.
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973 and declared a Mississippi Landmark in 1987, the Biloxi Lighthouse has been able to positively shape the surrounding area to become a destination for both residents and visitors.
Enabling Lighthouse Park, the Biloxi Visitors Center and More
Opened in July 2011, the Biloxi Visitors Center fuses the city’s architectural heritage with state-of-the-art technology and multi-media exhibits to give visitors and residents a true sense of the past and present of Biloxi. A documentary about the Biloxi Lighthouse that is available to view in the center further showcases the importance of the monument to the region.
Galleries, exhibits and a theatre provide visitors with a variety of options. Notable features of the building include two-story porches, a grand staircase, and floor-to-ceiling windows. Numerous other landmarks around the Visitor Center like the statue of Pierre LeMoyne d’Ilberville, the French Colonial Memorial Garden and the Lighthouse Pier exist on account of the notoriety the Biloxi Lighthouse has cultivated.
The Biloxi Lighthouse Park opened in June 2015. A children’s playground and covered pavilion that serves as a venue for events have come to define the park while enabling numerous ways for both residents and visitors to engage with the space.
The opportunities that have been developed at and around the Biloxi Lighthouse are a direct result of the popularity that has been cultivated to allow the monument to become an icon utilized by establishments across the city as well as a symbol of the community.
The Icon of Biloxi
Featured on Mississippi’s automobile license plates, the Biloxi Lighthouse was also included on a stamp issued by the United States Postal Service. In 2009, USPS and the City of Biloxi held a ceremony at the lighthouse to celebrate the first day of issue of the stamp. The structure is also an important element of logos for the city and various other organizations across the region.
Tours of the area showcase the Biloxi Lighthouse in various ways, highlighting the tremendous indirect economic impact the monument has enabled. Driving and bicycling trails of the city and coastal area often begin or end at the Biloxi Lighthouse.
Guided tours of the lighthouse are also available for a fee, highlighting a direct economic impact. A gift shop in the Visitor’s Center offers numerous pieces of Biloxi memorabilia, with many of the items created by local artists and craftsmen. The space is available for private parties or corporate functions and is also home to the Biloxi and Biloxi Bay chambers of commerce.
Referred to as a beacon on the Mississippi Coast and one of the most photographed sites on the Gulf Coast, the Biloxi Lighthouse has become an icon of the city but also a symbol for the community. This combination has enabled the creation of a legacy that continues to positively impact the entire region.
A Landmark of Biloxi
Serving as a signature landmark for Biloxi as well as a post-Katrina symbol of the city’s resolve and resilience, the Biloxi Lighthouse has come to represent something much more than a piece of history for the city. As a landmark that attracts attention from across the region as well as an icon that is utilized for a variety of commercial purposes, the Biloxi Lighthouse highlights how many different ways a monument can create a positive impact that defines the present and future of an entire community.
