A light that fell into the Gulf
St. George Island is a long, thin barrier island in Franklin County, facing the Gulf on one side and Apalachicola Bay on the other. The east end belongs to Dr. Julian G. Bruce St. George Island State Park, where Florida State Parks promises miles of undeveloped beach, marsh on the bay side and some of the best stargazing in the Panhandle. Sea turtles and shorebirds such as snowy plovers and black skimmers nest there in summer.
The island's landmark has a rough history. According to the St. George Lighthouse Association, the Cape St. George Light was built in 1852 on the southern tip of Little St. George Island, after earlier towers were lost to storms in 1846 and 1851. It went dark during the Civil War and was relit by keeper James Reilly on August 1, 1865. The Coast Guard automated it in 1949 and switched it off for good in 1994.
Hurricane Opal in 1995 knocked the tower off its foundation and left it leaning more than seven degrees. Locals raised money to straighten it, but erosion kept coming. By spring 2005 it stood 20 feet out in the water, and on October 21, 2005 it collapsed into the Gulf. That was 21 years ago today, as this page goes up.
The association, formed in 2004, worked with the state to salvage the pieces and rebuilt the light in the center of St. George Island. It opened to the public in December 2008. Today it stands 77 feet tall, and visitors climb 92 wooden steps and a short ladder to the lantern room. A replica keeper's house, finished in 2011, holds the museum and gift shop.
Why the island cooks chili
The grounds around that lighthouse host the island's best known food event, and it is red chili, not oysters. The St. George Island Charity Chili Cookoff reached its 44th year in March 2026, according to The Apalachicola Times. It raises money for the island's volunteer fire department, which depends on it for training costs and expensive equipment, and the paper notes that good fire protection also helps keep property insurance in check.
The cookoff has changed shape. Only 16 teams cooked in 2026, about a quarter of the booths that once filled the lighthouse grounds, but the party has spread across the island as a Chili Crawl. Sixteen homes and rentals served chili with live music and games, and organizers expected the crawl alone to bring in well over $30,000. The top prize went to the Chili Vibrations team from Panama City, which earned a place at the International Chili Society world championship.
