Jay Smith, Author at St Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime Museum

New Exhibit Celebrates the History of the Keepers’ and Their Families

Jay Smith2026-09-22T11:51:38-04:00September 22nd, 2026|

Rising above the skyline of St. Augustine, the St. Augustine Lighthouse has become an icon for residents and visitors alike. Constructed in 1874, the tower remains both a navigational aid and a symbol of strength and resilience. More than 200,000 people climb the tower each year, yet few understand what daily life was like for the men and women responsible for maintaining the lighthouse and its iconic Fresnel lens. Over the past year, staff at [...]

Maritime Archaeology Field School Wraps Up

Jay Smith2026-09-21T15:43:58-04:00September 21st, 2026|

Where Does the Next Generation of Maritime Archaeologists Go to Learn and Train? The St. Augustine Lighthouse, of course! From June 29 to July 31 of this year, students participating in the Lighthouse Archaeological Maritime Program (LAMP) Field School gained hands-on experience working alongside our maritime archaeologists as they investigated what is believed to be the shipwreck remains of the City of Sanford. Built in 1880, the City of Sanford was a sternwheel steamboat that met its fate [...]

Heritage Boat Works Builds a Dugout Canoe!

Jay Smith2026-07-20T16:07:18-04:00July 20th, 2026|

Since May 2026, the boat building volunteers of the Heritage Boat Works program have been working on a dugout canoe. Florida has the highest concentration of archaeological dugout canoes of anywhere in the world! These canoes date back over 7,000 years into the maritime history of Florida and its indigenous populations. Archaeologists in Florida began noticing these canoes in the 1970s as dry conditions exposed many in the lakes and waterways throughout the state. Samples [...]

WRECKED! Exhibit Gets an Upgrade!

Jay Smith2026-03-05T11:10:40-05:00March 5th, 2026|

The Wrecked! Exhibit tells the story of a group of ships that wrecked off the coast of St. Augustine in 1782. These vessels carried British Loyalist refugees fleeing Charleston, South Carolina, during the American Revolution. As the Continental (American) Army captured Charleston, Loyalists escaped to the nearby British colony of East Florida, whose capital was St. Augustine. The exhibit features artifacts recovered by the Lighthouse’s archaeologists from one of these shipwrecks, known as the Storm [...]

Corporate Sponsor Spotlight: Belinda with Belinda Buy & Sell

Jay Smith2026-02-16T15:13:35-05:00February 16th, 2026|

The St. Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime Museum was founded by the generosity of the community. The members of the St. Augustine Junior League gave selflessly and tirelessly of their time, resources and talent. Together they rallied a community of support that turned the Light Station into a museum in 1998. Since then, generous donors have continued to ensure that the mission to discover, preserve, present, and share the stories of the Nation's Oldest Port remains [...]

History In Our Backyard: Archaeology on the Lighthouse Grounds

Jay Smith2026-02-16T13:18:47-05:00February 16th, 2026|

What began as a routine project quickly turned into an extraordinary discovery. During the weekend of January 10–11, 2026, Museum staff dug a hole to install a new signpost—and instead uncovered a historic trash pit hidden beneath the grounds of the St. Augustine Light Station. Work immediately paused, and the Museum’s archaeology team stepped in. As they opened a 2x2 meter excavation around the pit, it became clear they had discovered more than discarded debris. [...]

History in Our Backyard: Archaeology on the Lighthouse Grounds

Jay Smith2026-01-13T15:57:49-05:00January 13th, 2026|

From time to time, artifacts appear on the grounds of the St. Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime Museum. Recently, several items emerged from the dunes located behind the Lighthouse tower, including a component of a hand pump and a piece of dishware. Our conservation team immediately began working to determine the time period from which these artifacts originated. The items were likely used on site by Lighthouse keepers and their families. Hand Pump Some people may [...]

An Active Aid to Navigation: The Lighthouse Helps Track Right Whales

Jay Smith2026-01-13T15:45:37-05:00January 13th, 2026|

Do you know why they’re called Right Whales? The name “Right Whale” means just that. In the mid-1800s, during the height of commercial whaling, these majestic creatures were considered the “right” whale to hunt. Why? Because they were easy to catch and incredibly valuable. Right Whales had large deposits of fat, or blubber, which made them more buoyant than other whales. As a result, they floated to the surface after being killed, making them easier [...]

The Lighthouse Archaeological Maritime Program Turns 26!

Jay Smith2025-11-25T13:46:40-05:00November 24th, 2025|

The St. Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime Museum has conducted maritime archaeological research in the St. Augustine area since 1997. In 1999, the Museum organized a maritime archaeology program as part of the research extension of the Museum. Today, this program is one of the few underwater archaeology research programs in the world not part of a university or government agency. The Museum has conserved over 3,400 objects and samples from submerged archaeological sites. These include: [...]

Historic Ship Timbers Discovered on Crescent Beach

Jay Smith2025-08-29T15:30:56-04:00August 28th, 2025|

Following the recent swells and storm surges cause by Hurricane Erin, two large ship timbers were discovered washed up on Crescent Beach. The timbers were found by the St. Johns County Beach Services, who quickly reported the find to LAMP (St. Augustine Lighthouse Archaeological Maritime Program), the research arm of the St. Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime Museum. At this stage, the type of wood had not been identified, but samples have been collected and will [...]

About Jay Smith

New Exhibit Celebrates the History of the Keepers’ and Their Families

Maritime Archaeology Field School Wraps Up

Heritage Boat Works Builds a Dugout Canoe!

WRECKED! Exhibit Gets an Upgrade!

Corporate Sponsor Spotlight: Belinda with Belinda Buy & Sell

History In Our Backyard: Archaeology on the Lighthouse Grounds

History in Our Backyard: Archaeology on the Lighthouse Grounds

An Active Aid to Navigation: The Lighthouse Helps Track Right Whales

The Lighthouse Archaeological Maritime Program Turns 26!

Historic Ship Timbers Discovered on Crescent Beach

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