St. Augustine Lighthouse

In 1824, an old Spanish watchtower in St. Augustine became Florida's first lighthouse with Juan Andreau, a Minorcan, as the first lightkeeper. Originally, the lighthouse used Winslow Lewis Argand lamps for illumination. The US government improved the light's quality by installing a 4th order Fresnel lens in 1855. This light could be seen much farther than the old lamps.

In the late 1860s, the US government determined that the encroaching ocean was threatening the foundation of the light station. By 1870, the old tower and keeper's quarters were no longer adequate. A new light station was needed. On October 15, 1874, the keeper extinguished the light in the old lighthouse for the last time. Keepers continued to live in the old quarters until 1876 when they moved to the new light station. Just four years later the old lighthouse crashed into the sea.

The current lighthouse in St. Augustine, Florida replaced the old tower. Construction on the current tower began in 1871. Designed by Paul Pelz, who also designed the Library of Congress, the lighthouse was built out of Alabama brick, Georgia granite, and Philadelphia iron with an attached oil house. It took three years to complete the new lighthouse. On October 15, 1874, the lightkeeper lit the new first order Fresnel lens for the first time.

The St. Augustine Lighthouse was one of a series of lighthouses constructed along the Atlantic coastline during the mid-nineteenth century. The Lighthouse stands on the northern tip of Anastasia Island, an area that has been closely associated with St. Augustine’s defense and maritime history since the sixteenth century. At that time, Spanish officials placed a sentry tower in the vicinity of what is now Lighthouse Park to keep watch over those approaching the city by water.

The light was originally made up of four concentric wicks with lard oil (pig fat) being used for fuel. The nightmark for the light was a three-minute fixed flash. In 1885, the fuel changed to kerosene. A new brick building was constructed on the grounds to house this more dangerous fluid. Kerosene continued to be the fuel until the lighthouse received electricity in 1936. With electricity, the speed of the lens rotation also increased making the nightmark a 30-second fixed flash.

In 1955, the lighthouse became automated and the last lightkeeper retired. Lamplighters were then employed to take care of the lens. Lamplighters did not live at the light station. They came usually twice a day to check on the light, clean the lens, and make sure everything was working correctly. In 1989, the last lamplighter in St. Augustine, Mr. Henry "Hank" Mears, retired. The United States Coast Guard Auxiliary now maintains the light once a week. The lighthouse remains an active aid to navigation.

In the 20th century, the St. Augustine Lighthouse and Museum underwent some significant changes. In the early 1980s, as St. Johns County was trying to decide what to do with the property, the Junior Service League approached them to request a long-term lease. The League brought the 19th-century, two-story light keeper's house back to life after it had been ravaged by fire and vandals.

The property and the keeper's house are under a 99-year lease, in which the League promised to restore the house and open it to the public for community events and heritage tourism. The St. Augustine Lighthouse & Museum was separately incorporated from the Junior Service League on January 1, 1999. The Museum leases the tower from the United States Coast Guard.

Established in 1999, the Lighthouse Archaeological Maritime Program (LAMP) is a permanent research program dedicated to the preservation and interpretation of artifacts, shipwrecks and the maritime heritage of St. Augustine—the nation’s "oldest port."