Crews are in the middle of a major restoration project to preserve the Middle Bay Lighthouse, a Mobile Bay landmark that has stood watch over the water since 1885 and served as a critical navigation aid for ships entering the Port of Mobile.
The lighthouse sits on iron pilings out in the open water of Mobile Bay, marking a bend in the shipping channel that once made it an essential guide for vessels before modern navigation technology took over that role.
“Because until navigation aids got modernized, this was a major light, a major navigation aid, because there’s a bend in the channel,” said Art Thomas, who serves as Middle Bay Lighthouse Chairman for the Alabama Lighthouse Association.
Thomas said more than a century of exposure to salt, wind and storms had left the structure in need of major repairs, and that he had grown increasingly concerned about its long-term future before the current project got underway roughly four months ago.
“Before this began, I was quite nervous about its future,” Thomas said.
Crews are currently preparing the roof for a new slate covering, working from a floating construction platform held in place by three towering pilings. According to Thomas, the $1.2 million restoration also includes rebuilding the lighthouse’s deck, installing new aluminum handrails, completing wood repairs and applying fresh paint. He described it as the largest restoration project in the lighthouse’s history.
“This is the most. I’m sure it’s the most since it was done,” Thomas said.
The project is being funded by the Alabama Historical Commission, which owns the lighthouse and is responsible for its long-term preservation. The commission oversees a range of historic sites across the state, and its involvement reflects the lighthouse’s status as a protected piece of Alabama maritime history.
Middle Bay Lighthouse first shined on Dec. 1, 1885, and served mariners for decades before being automated in 1935. It was ultimately decommissioned in 1967 as newer navigation technology made the structure obsolete for its original purpose. Despite that, the lighthouse has remained a fixture of Mobile Bay, valued today more for its historic and symbolic significance than for active maritime guidance.
One of the lighthouse’s best-known stories dates back to 1916, when a keeper’s wife gave birth inside the structure. According to the Alabama Lighthouse Association, a milk cow was brought out to the lighthouse afterward because the newborn was unable to nurse.
“I can’t imagine it,” Thomas said of the birth story.
There have been past discussions about relocating the lighthouse to Battleship Memorial Park amid concerns about its deteriorating condition and long-term future. Thomas said he is glad those plans never moved forward, and that he hopes the current restoration ensures Middle Bay Lighthouse remains exactly where it has stood since 1885.
“All we want as an association is to do what’s best for it, protect it as best we can, and we’re really happy with this project,” Thomas said.
If weather conditions cooperate, Thomas said the restoration project is expected to be completed within 90 days.