Every two hours, a lighthouse keeper climbs 101 steps, hand-cranks 700 pounds of iron weights, and keeps the world’s last hand-wound kerosene beacon burning — a ritual unchanged since 1863.
On Elbow Cay in the Abaco islands, the Elbow Reef Lighthouse has guided ships through the coral reefs for over 160 years. It is the only active lighthouse in the world that remains manually wound and kerosene-burning. The lighthouse keeper must rewind the lens-turning mechanism every two hours by cranking 700-pound iron weights housed in the hollow central column. This is not a tourist reenactment. It is the real, ongoing operation of a working maritime beacon.
Most visitors to the Bahamas never see anything like it. The lighthouse appears on the Bahamian $10 banknote and draws more visitors than any other attraction in Abaco. But the real story behind the candy-striped tower is the group of people who have fought for decades to keep it manual — the Elbow Reef Lighthouse Society.
The Elbow Reef Lighthouse Society (ERLS) is the reason the world’s last hand-wound kerosene lighthouse still operates. Formed from the Bahamas Lighthouse Preservation Society in 2013, the group has prevented automation, sourced extinct replacement parts, and raised over a million dollars for restoration. But the long-term sustainability of keeping it manual remains an unresolved challenge — no funding source is guaranteed, and the work is physically demanding.
The Elbow Reef Lighthouse is not a museum piece. It is an active aid to navigation, operated by the ERLS on behalf of The Bahamas Port Department. Understanding its history, its mechanics, and the people who keep it running requires looking at the lighthouse itself, the society that saved it, and the community that surrounds it.
| Era | Key Feature | Keeper Role | Condition |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1863–1936 | Fixed non-turning lens, steady white burner, hand-wound weights | Full-time keeper, manual winding every 2 hours | Original structure, brick tower, 101 steps |
| 1936–2017 | Rotating Fresnel lens from Gun Cay Lighthouse, upgraded mechanism | Full-time keeper, manual winding, upgraded lantern | Maintained, parts repurposed from West Usk Lighthouse (Wales) and Gun Cay |
| 2017–2019 | 96 new curved weatherglass panels, watertight lantern room | Keeper still winding, ERLS handling restoration | Restored lantern, weatherglass held during Hurricane Dorian |
| 2022–present | Full restoration: slate repair, mineral silicate repaint, lens maintenance | Keeper still winding, ERLS managing $472,000 grant work | Preserved, all original movable parts working |
Each era reflects a different chapter in the lighthouse’s survival — from Imperial Lighthouse Service construction to modern volunteer-driven preservation.
The Last Hand-Wound Beacon
The Elbow Reef Lighthouse stands 89 feet tall on the northern tip of Elbow Cay. Its brick tower, built between 1862 and 1863, contains 101 steps leading to the lantern room. The tower is painted in the distinctive red-and-white candy-stripe pattern that makes it visible from miles offshore. Construction began in 1862 and the lighthouse became operational in 1863, designed and fabricated by Trinity House, the British authority responsible for navigational aids.
The centerpiece of the lighthouse is a first-order five-bullseye Fresnel lens built by Chance Brothers, one of Britain’s greatest glass manufacturers. The lens projects a beam visible up to 23 nautical miles. The flash pattern is described as “GP FL W 5 EV 15 Sec 120FT 15M” — white light flashes five times every 15 seconds, 120 feet above sea level, visible 15 to 20 miles. The lens and turning mechanism were originally installed at Gun Cay Lighthouse and were transferred to Elbow Reef during a 1936 upgrade.
The keeper’s quarters and seven other outbuildings were built between 1862 and 1864 to British Lighthouse Engineer specifications. The Oil Store features a radial ceiling and custom holding tanks. The safety rail system on the gallery deck includes twelve cast-iron stanchions with Victorian decorative floral finials that serve as threaded nuts. The exterior door handle is a Victorian “Fist and Scroll” bronze piece. A British Empire weathervane, designed in the 1800s, was installed on the tower dome in the 1930s. Every detail reflects the craftsmanship of the Imperial Lighthouse Service era.
When first built in 1863, the lighthouse had a fixed, non-turning lens and a steady white burner. The turning mechanism and rotating lens were added in 1936, using parts from the decommissioned Gun Cay Lighthouse. The first tower rebuild occurred between 1934 and 1939, during which parts were repurposed from the decommissioned West Usk Lighthouse in Wales and from Gun Cay, including lantern components and hand-fashioned English Oak stair treads.
The Preservation Society’s Long Fight
The Bahamas Lighthouse Preservation Society (BLPS) formed in 1992 with a single goal: prevent the automation of the Elbow Reef Lighthouse. At that time, the Bahamas Port Department was automating lighthouses across the island chain. Between 1973 and 2012, seven of the 11 Imperial Lighthouse Service stations were automated, leaving only Elbow Reef and San Salvador with keepers and manual lens-turning apparatus. The BLPS agreed to assume maintenance responsibilities in exchange for keeping the lighthouse manual.
In 2013, the BLPS reorganized, added community members, and renamed itself the Elbow Reef Lighthouse Society. The ERLS took over custodianship of the lighthouse and its outbuildings. Between 2011 and 2017, the society restored the lantern, replacing all 96 curved weatherglass panels, making the lighthouse watertight for the first time in decades. The society has invested over 30 years into preservation and has stated it will not stop.
All 96 curved weatherglass panels replaced, making the lantern room watertight. This work protected the Fresnel lens and turning mechanism from the elements. Source: IALA Heritage
Interior brickwork stripped of old paint and repainted. The tower’s brick structure had been repaired in 1953 with concentric concrete rings to fix lightning cracks.
Exterior paint water-blasted off and replaced with mineral silicate paint, a breathable coating that protects the historic brickwork.
Slate flooring replaced in the lantern room, rust on support beams repaired. Ongoing work funded by the U.S. Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation grant.
Funding has always been the biggest challenge. As of January 2021, the ERLS had spent over $305,452 in cash plus $70,000 in-kind on restoration projects since Hurricane Dorian, with no further funds expected from the Bahamas Government. The society continues fundraising independently. Whether the lighthouse can remain hand-wound indefinitely is an open question — one that depends on sustained donations, volunteer commitment, and the physical ability of keepers to continue the two-hour winding cycle.
Hurricane Dorian and the Recovery
In August 2019, Hurricane Dorian struck the Abaco Islands with near-category-6 winds that lasted for two days. The storm caused catastrophic damage across the island chain. At the Elbow Reef Lighthouse, the new weatherglass panels installed by the ERLS held firm, protecting the interior, the Fresnel lens, and the lens-turning machinery from the elements. But the eight outbuildings — including both keepers’ quarters — were heavily damaged.
The restoration effort that followed was the largest in the lighthouse’s history. The ERLS reported that from a nearly one million dollar restoration effort, critical repairs were completed using donations from individuals and organizations. In October 2021, the society applied for a U.S. federal grant through the U.S. Embassy in Nassau. On February 18, 2022, the U.S. Embassy awarded the 2021 Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation grant of $472,000 to the ERLS for lighthouse repairs. U.S. Embassy Chargé d’Affaires Usha Pitts and Prime Minister Philip Davis inaugurated the restoration project at a ceremony at the lightstation.
A common misconception is that the Elbow Reef Lighthouse is a museum piece or a tourist attraction that happens to look like a lighthouse. It is not. It is an active aid to navigation, maintained by the ERLS on behalf of The Bahamas Port Department. The keeper’s winding is a real operational necessity, not a performance. Visitors should treat the lighthouse as a working maritime facility, not a photo prop.
The grant funded repairs to interior slate floors, the Fresnel lens, and re-painting of the red-and-white exterior. The ERLS has invested over $1 million pre-Hurricane Dorian and over $700,000 post-Hurricane Dorian, including the $472,000 grant. The society operates an educational YouTube channel and hosts about 100 schoolchildren annually, 30–40 percent of whom are from local cays. The 2015 book “Up Keep’s the Light On!” was developed by the ERLS for Hope Town Primary School and is used internationally to inspire lighthouse workshops.
Visiting Hope Town and the Lighthouse
Hope Town, the settlement on Elbow Cay, has 458 residents. The village has no cars — residents and visitors use bicycles and golf carts on narrow pathways lined with pastel-colored cottages. The ferry runs seven times daily from Marsh Harbour, with no Sunday evening service. Guesthouses in Hope Town charge $80 to $150 per night, often including breakfast and bicycle loans, compared to Nassau hotel rooms at $200 to $400.
Visitors can climb the 101 steps to the lantern room and see the Fresnel lens up close. The lighthouse is the most visited attraction in Abaco and a key maritime tourism asset for The Bahamas. The surrounding waters host pristine coral reefs with sea turtles, nurse sharks, and parrotfish, accessible by snorkeling directly from village beaches. Conch fritters cost about $8 in Hope Town versus $18 in Nassau, with larger portions.
If you want to witness the hand-winding in action, time your visit around the top of the hour — the keeper rewinds the mechanism every two hours, and the schedule is tied to the lighthouse’s operational needs, not visitor hours. Ask at the lighthouse or check with the ERLS for the current winding schedule. Bring comfortable shoes for the 101-step climb, and be prepared for narrow spiral stairs.
The Elbow Reef Classic, a fishing tournament organized by the Elbow Reef Foundation, raises funds for the lighthouse. The 3rd Annual Elbow Reef Classic was held May 21–24, 2025, at Hope Town Inn and Marina, with more than 90 anglers from The Bahamas and the United States participating. The event is one of several fundraising initiatives that support the ERLS’s ongoing work.
Context and Comparison: The Last Manual Lighthouse
The Elbow Reef Lighthouse is one of 11 manned light stations commissioned by the British Imperial Lighthouse Service in the Bahama Islands between 1836 and 1997. By 2012, all except Elbow Reef and San Salvador had been automated. San Salvador was later automated as well, leaving Elbow Reef as the sole survivor. The comparison with other Bahamian lighthouses highlights what makes Elbow Reef unique — and what was lost when the others were automated.
| Lighthouse | Current Status | Keeper | Year Automated | Notable Feature |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elbow Reef (Elbow Cay) | Hand-wound, kerosene, active | Yes (active keeper) | Not automated | Last of its kind in the world; first-order five-bullseye Fresnel lens |
| San Salvador | Automated, active | No | After 2012 | Was the second-to-last manual lighthouse; now automated |
| Other 9 Imperial lighthouses | Automated, active or decommissioned | No | 1973–2012 | Various; most converted to solar or electric operation |
The table shows the pattern: automation happened steadily across the Bahamas, and only one community-organized preservation effort stopped it. The ERLS did not just save a building — they preserved a specific way of operating a lighthouse, one that requires a human being present every two hours, every day, every night, year-round.
- The Elbow Reef Lighthouse is the last hand-wound, kerosene-burning lighthouse in the world, still using its original 1863 mechanism.
- The Elbow Reef Lighthouse Society has prevented automation for over 30 years through volunteer work, fundraising, and grant applications.
- Hurricane Dorian caused extensive damage to outbuildings but the lighthouse itself survived due to restoration work completed just before the storm.
- The lighthouse is an active aid to navigation, not a museum — visitors should treat it as a working facility.
- Long-term sustainability of the manual operation remains an open question, dependent on ongoing funding and keeper availability.
Questions Readers Ask
Can visitors climb the Elbow Reef Lighthouse?
Yes. The lighthouse is open to visitors and is the most visited attraction in Abaco. You climb 101 steps to the lantern room. There is no elevator, and the stairs are narrow and spiral.
Check with the ERLS or local visitor information for current opening hours. The lighthouse is a working navigation aid, so access may be limited during maintenance or adverse weather.
How does the hand-winding mechanism work?
The keeper cranks 700-pound iron weights housed in the hollow central column. As the weights descend, they turn the lens mechanism. Every two hours, the keeper must rewind the weights back to the top.
The system was installed in its current form in 1936, using the lens and turning mechanism from the decommissioned Gun Cay Lighthouse. The weights are wound by hand using a crank, with no electric motor.
Is the lighthouse at risk of being automated?
The ERLS has prevented automation since 1992, but the long-term sustainability of manual operation is not guaranteed. Funding is a constant challenge, and the physical demands of the keeper’s role are significant.
The society has stated it will not stop, but there is no permanent funding source. The lighthouse operates under an agreement with The Bahamas Port Department, which could change policy in the future.
How did Hurricane Dorian affect the lighthouse?
The new weatherglass panels installed between 2011 and 2017 held during the storm, protecting the Fresnel lens and turning mechanism. However, the eight outbuildings, including both keepers’ quarters, were heavily damaged.
The ERLS raised over $305,000 in cash and $70,000 in-kind for post-Dorian repairs, and later received a $472,000 grant from the U.S. Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation for full restoration.
A Living Beacon
The Elbow Reef Lighthouse is not a relic of the past — it is a living, working part of the present. Every two hours, someone climbs those 101 steps, cranks the weights, and keeps the light turning. That act, repeated for over 160 years, connects the 19th-century Imperial Lighthouse Service to the 21st-century community of Hope Town. The preservation society that keeps it going has shown that cultural preservation is not always about museums and glass cases. Sometimes it is about keeping a job alive, a mechanism in motion, and a light burning over the reef. For a deeper look at how Bahamian communities maintain their seafaring traditions, read about sloop sailing and the legacy of seafaring in the Bahamas.
Sources and further reading
International Association of Marine Aids to Navigation and Lighthouse Authorities. “Elbow Reef Lighthouse.” IALA Heritage Lighthouse of the Year. 🔗
The Nassau Guardian. “Restoring a Beacon of Hope.” 2022. 🔗
Journée Mondiale. “I Discovered This Hidden Bahamian Lighthouse Village.” 2025. 🔗
ZNS Bahamas. “HG Christie Supports Lighthouse Preservation.” 2025. 🔗
Related reading on IslandHopperGuides
From Independence to Innovation: Examining the Evolution of Bahamian Art — How Bahamian artists have preserved and transformed cultural traditions since independence.
Learning From the Land: Sustainable Living Practices in Bahamian Culture — Traditional Bahamian approaches to sustainability that parallel the preservation ethos of the ERLS.
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