Fernandina Beach Seeks $406K in Grants to Restore Historic Amelia Island Lighthouse

By Mike Lednovich/Editor

FERNANDINA BEACH — The Fernandina Beach City Commission Tuesday approved a grant application aimed at securing more than $400,000 for continued restoration of one of Florida’s most historic landmarks — the Amelia Island Lighthouse.

City commissioners authorized staff to apply for a $325,000 Special Category grant through the Florida Department of State’s Division of Historical Resources, along with a companion $81,250 grant from the Florida Lighthouse Association to cover the required local match.

If awarded, the combined funding would support a $406,250 rehabilitation project focused on structural repairs to the aging lighthouse, whose masonry has deteriorated over time due to weather exposure and age.

Standing 67-feet tall on the highest point of Amelia Island, the lighthouse dates back to 1839 and holds the distinction of being Florida’s oldest operational lighthouse.

The structure has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 2003, a designation that both protects the site and requires that any restoration work adhere to strict federal preservation standards.

Ownership of the lighthouse was transferred to the City of Fernandina Beach in the early 2000s, with the city assuming long-term responsibility for its maintenance and preservation.

City officials stated in the current grant application the project is part of a broader, phased approach to maintaining the structure. A recent engineering and structural assessment identified ongoing repair needs and outlined a long-term preservation strategy.

Over the past decade, the city has undertaken periodic improvements to stabilize and preserve the lighthouse, including masonry work, repainting, and structural assessments. However, officials say continued exposure to coastal weather conditions has accelerated wear, making additional rehabilitation necessary.

The current grant request builds on a series of recent preservation efforts at the Amelia Island Lighthouse, including a major restoration completed in 2019 with approximately $350,000 in state historic preservation funding. That roughly year-long project focused on extensive masonry repairs, repainting, and structural stabilization of the 1839 tower, allowing the lighthouse to reopen to the public in early 2020.

The city continued that momentum with additional rehabilitation work in 2025 targeting ongoing maintenance needs identified in structural assessments, followed by the successful restoration of the lighthouse’s historic beacon to operation in 2024 after electrical and mechanical upgrades.

The proposed new project would focus on critical repairs consistent with the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Historic Preservation — a requirement for projects funded through the state’s Special Category grant program.

The Special Category grant program is one of Florida’s primary funding sources for historic preservation, supporting large-scale projects that protect significant cultural resources. The program operates on a competitive basis, with applications scored on historic significance, public benefit, and project readiness, among other criteria.

Grants can provide up to $500,000, but require a dollar-for-dollar match, meaning local governments must secure or commit matching funds to qualify.

City officials are seeking to offset that requirement through the Florida Lighthouse Association grant, rather than relying solely on local taxpayer funding.

The approval of the resolution allows staff to submit the applications for the 2027–2028 funding cycle. Even if recommended by state reviewers, funding is not guaranteed and ultimately depends on legislative appropriation.

If awarded, the funds would be programmed into the city’s Capital Improvements budget and used specifically for lighthouse restoration work.