Gateway Arch Park Foundation is proud to continue celebrating Black History Month. This week we are featuring United States Army Engineer, Silas Garrett, who petitioned the City of St. Louis to add a light to the top of the Gateway Arch. Garrett, a former pilot, knew the importance of having a guiding light at the top of the Arch, given its height and shape. Not only did Garrett petition for the light, he also built the light. After the installation, he would return more than 25 times for updates, upgrades, and routine maintenance.

Garrett's legacy lives on, still today there is a bright red beacon beaming from the top of the Gateway Arch. Garrett’s original light was replaced with a more efficient LED in 2013. Visitors to the Gateway Arch Museum will find his original light proudly shining from the top of the Keystone exhibit, inside the Tram Lobby.Thank you, Silas Garrett, for your contribution to the Gateway Arch! Click here to learn more about Silas Garrett

Photo Credit: St. Louis Post-Dispatch