CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — One of Brevard County's treasured landmarks is continuing its return to the glory of old.

A woman with ties to the first person to watch over Cape Canaveral Lighthouse more than 150 years ago says she thinks the restoration is wonderful.

"When I was young, it was a natural family conversation," explains Lauren Barley, who learned about a key figure in her family's history while as a youth living in a home on Cape Canaveral Lighthouse​ property.

Her great, great, great grandfather — Nathaniel Scobie — was the original keeper of the shining beacon, all the way back in 1848.

Scobie was chosen for the job because he was the only person living in the remote area.

"Rugged conditions with the hurricanes, mosquitoes, alligators, snakes, it was a crazy place to live," Barley says.

Scobie lived in the keeper's quarters, which today is living history in the form of a replica home and museum, thanks to the Cape Canaveral Foundation.

"It's a timeline that tells us about the original lighthouse built in 1848, about the next lighthouse in 1868," says Becky Zingarelli, Cape Canaveral Lighthouse Museum Director.

There's also information about Scobie and his short stint as the first keeper.

"He had to learn it all by himself,” Zingarelli says. “He had to live out here by himself, didn't know what he was supposed to be doing."

It's taken decades of work, millions in donations and grants, and countless volunteer hours from those committed to preserving the lighthouse grounds' legacy to make the project come to fruition.

"Absolute labor of love, it's just been wonderful," Zingarelli says.

For Barley, it’s also been wonderful to thank her trailblazing ancestor and share her family's legacy with her 6-year-old grandson, Gabriel, who celebrated his birthday Wednesday.

"When you look at a lighthouse keeper, they are there to help other people," she says. "So I say thank you that it's been passed to our family because we do like to help others."