The History of St. Augustine Lighthouse
The Light house at St. Augustine Florida
One of the most iconic structures in St. Augustine, the St. Augustine Lighthouse towers over Anastasia Island at 165 feet tall. Wrapped in black and white stripes and casting a bright light from its red top, the lighthouse has helped sailors navigate our salty shores for over 150 years. Built between 1871 and 1874, the lighthouse was first lit on October 15, 1874. But before the lighthouse we see today was constructed, there were two predecessors built by the Spanish: a wooden watchtower built in 1589, which was then replaced by the first St. Augustine Lighthouse in 1737, built out of coquina rock. These structures were located about 300 yards northeast from the one we see today. The original lighthouse fell into the sea in 1880 due to erosion, which prompted the current site of today’s lighthouse on an old beach dune — a safer location due to its high elevation.
The first keeper of the original lighthouse was Juan Andreu, a Menorcan who would be the first of many Menorcans to be the keepers of the lighthouse. The first female lighthouse keeper was Maria Andreu, who in her role as keeper was also the first Hispanic-American woman to serve in the U.S. Coast Guard. She held the post from 1859 until the start of the Civil War, when the lens was removed and hidden in order to darken the seas and hinder Union ships. The lighthouse remained dark until 1867, when the original lens was recovered. In 1871, construction on the new lighthouse began, and was lit for the first time in 1874, when it received a 9-foot tall, first-order Fresnel lens, handmade by Parisian lensmaker Sautter, Lemonnier & Cie. The lens has 370 individual prisms and weighs just about 2 tons, and its light can be seen from up to 19 to 24 nautical miles. The only lighthouse keeper to work both towers was William R. Russell, who was the first to light the oil lamp inside the new Fresnel lens. He manned the lighthouse for 20 years, and then passed the torch to William A. Harn. The oil lamp was first fueled by whale lard, then by different types of oil, then kerosine, and then electricity in 1936, utilizing a 1000-watt light bulb as its light source — which is exactly what the lighthouse continues to use, inside the authentic, original Fresnel lens which remains active in the St. Augustine Lighthouse today! The light was automated in 1955, flashing every 30 seconds, and the three positions of lighthouse keepers (Head Keeper, 1st Assistant Keeper and 2nd Assistant Keeper) were made into one.
Spiral staircase inside the St. Augustine Lighthouse officially Light Station completed in 1874 in St. Augustine, Florida. Founded in 1565 by Spanish admiral Pedro Menéndez de Avilés, the city is the oldest in the Continental United States.
There are two rooms at the base of the lighthouse tower: one was used as the lighthouse keepers’ office, storing records of equipment, maintenance and logbooks (which now are available to see as record of what it was like to operate a lighthouse); the other room was used to store lard oil and then kerosene. There are other structures on the grounds too, including two summer kitchens (built in 1888), a 1936 garage and U.S. Coast Guard barracks from 1941. During World War Two, armed guards were stationed at the St. Augustine Lighthouse to watch over the Atlantic all day and night for enemy vessels. Today, thousands of artifacts from this time are preserved in the museum. One of the most famous structures on the property is The Lighthouse Keepers’ House, originally constructed in 1876. It was home to all three lighthouse keepers and their families, and could comfortably house 15 people. In the 1970s, the home suffered a suspicious fire, which prompted a massive undertaking by the Junior Service League (JSL) to restore and preserve the property indefinitely.
After the arson at The Lighthouse Keepers’ House, the property was discussed as a potential site for condominiums, and then in 1980, bulldozers threatened the property. The JSL stepped in to restore the property and open a maritime museum, adding the house and tower to the National Register of Historic Places. In 1991, the Coast Guard considered replacing the Fresnel lens with a modern airport beacon, and yet again the volunteers of the JSL came to the rescue. They signed a new lease with the Coast Guard and relit what is now the world’s first restored Fresnel lens in the nation, working with Chief Boatswains Mate Joe Cocking and Machinist Nick Johnston. In the next 15 years, the JSL would raise over $1.2M to store the keepers’ house, the tower and the lens. The beautiful and jewel-like Parisian lens has now shone over St. Augustine for more than 15 decades.
In 1994, the tower opened to the public full-time, and was separately incorporated as a not-for-profit maritime museum in 1998. The museum now owns the property, tower, lens and collection of over 19,000 artifacts, archival documents and archaeological specimens. It is also an affiliate of the Smithsonian. The St. Augustine Lighthouse and Maritime Museum welcomes 225,000 visitors each year, where locals and tourists alike climb up the 219 steps to take in the most breathtaking view of St. Augustine, including Anastasia Island, the beaches and Atlantic Ocean, the Intracoastal Waterway, historic downtown and so much more.
We here at Florida Water Tours love the St. Augustine Lighthouse, and especially savor the sight of the towering beauty from the water. As we take you along the peaceful waterways of St. Augustine, we guarantee you’ll have the best view in town! Choose from any of our unique tours and/or private charters to take in the historic landmark and beautiful natural scenery and wildlife. Come see us at Windward Camachee Cove Yacht Harbor marina (107 Yacht Club Dr., St. Augustine, FL 32084). We offer free parking and restrooms on board. Our vessels are just a short walk from our boutique, located at Docks A-23, A-24 and A-25. Email us at [email protected] to book or inquire about your next experience.
St. Augustine Light Station located in St Augustine Florida USA Lighthouse is structure such as a tower with a powerful light.