Last week on Thursday, Feb. 9th, the St. Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime Museum had the privilege of hosting Dr. Richard James Bell for a lecture on the lives of British Loyalists during the Revolutionary War. Dr. Bell is currently a professor of history at the University of Maryland, and received his PhD from Harvard University and his BA from the University of Cambridge.
The lecture went hand-in-hand with the St. Augustine Lighthouse’s newest exhibit Wrecked!, an interactive exhibit which tells of the discovery and plight of the 1782 British Loyalist shipwreck found off the coast of St. Augustine.
The event and lecture were sponsored by a grant from the Tourism Development Council (TDC) and featured as part of the Museum’s Smithsonian affiliation. It was held open to the public and the St. Augustine community. The event brought in over 100 attendees who were able to enjoy the beautiful evening on the front lawn of the Keepers’ House with food, beverages, and a new perspective on British Loyalists in American history.
The Lighthouse hosts member events like this every month. Annual memberships to the St. Augustine Lighthouse start at just $25 a person and can be purchased online, in the Museum or over the phone (904) 829-0745. For more information please visit our website or call (904) 829-0745.
Thomas Matthews Anderson is a senior at Flagler College majoring in Strategic Communication with minors in Advertising and Communication Media. He is originally from Tarboro, North Carolina, and is interning with the St. Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime Museum for the Spring 2017 semester.