The Guantanamo Bay Lighthouse

The Spanish-American War in 1898, where the first U.S. troops came ashore in Cuba at Fisherman's Point, is now part of what is the Guantanamo Bay, Cuba Naval Station which was established in 1903 under the 1903 Cuban-American Treaty, granting a perpetual lease of the area.  There is a lot of interesting history to learn about this location.  Today I thought I'd share the Lighthouse with you.  It's a landmark we all know and love here, but sadly it won't be standing much longer.
 

The Lighthouse that I drive past often and love to take pictures of was built in the US and shipped to Cuba in 1904.  It was one of the first all steel structures built at that time.  It's 60 feet in height and the interior is tongue-and-groove mahogany with 67 steps and a molded copper cupola.  The weather vane on top of the cupola contains “O” for ouest which is Spanish for west. 

It was a working lighthouse from 1904 until 1955 when the light was deactivated.  The light was moved to a skeletal tower nearby.  In 1988 a solar light was placed in the cupola.  It's been sitting unused for decades and it has been determined that the lighthouse is now structurally unsound and unsafe because of rust and corrosion.  The main entrance was secured from access in 1998, and the structure is being left to slowly decay.

The keeper’s cottage built in 1903 currently houses the Guantanamo Bay Naval Station Cultural Historical Collection.  The collection contains hundreds of old photographs from the Spanish American War, WWI, WWII, Vietnam, as well an enormous amount of memorabilia from the 100 years the United States Marine Corps has been on Guantanamo Bay.   It is currently under renovations, I hope to include pictures from it here on the blog when I can gain access.

Old boats and rafts sit on display on the grounds around the lighthouse used by Cuban and Haitian refugees to come to Guantanamo Bay.  It's a sight to behold, these decaying symbols of freedom to desperate people.