Lighthouse History

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. [...]

Faro y Museo Marítimo de San Agustín

Lee-Capitano2025-01-15T10:35:25-05:00March 20th, 2024|

Faro y Museo Marítimo de San Agustín Suba * Descubra * Experimente El destino número 1 de Trip Advisor en St. Augustine, FL. VISITE EL FARO DE ST. AUGUSTINE Estamos abiertos de 9 am a 6 pm todos los días. Para consultar los horarios actualizados de las actividades especiales, visite: Sitio web: www.staugustinelighthouse.org Dirección GPS: 100 Red Cox Rd. St. Augustine, Fl 32080 Aparcamiento gratuito frente al Centro de Visitantes. Teléfono: 904-829-0745 Para traducir [...]

Check Out The Latest Spyglass Magazine!

Lee-Capitano2025-01-15T10:35:53-05:00July 12th, 2023|

SPYGLASS MAGAZINE VOLUME 23 ISSUE 1 WHAT'S INSIDE SPYGLASS: THE SHRIMP JOURNEY HISTORIC PRESERVATION LIGHT STATION DISCOVERIES 1782 SHIPWRECK ARTIFACTS CREATING A LEGACY We are more than a lighthouse. We are a nonprofit that puts your dollars to work through historic preservation, education, conservation, archaeology, and shared history of local community and beyond. Thank you to our donors, volunteers, members, visitors, sponsors, ongoing supporters. We continue our mission because of you! You keep the [...]

Brown Bess Muskets from 1782 – Found Loaded, Cocked, and Ready To Be Fired!

Lee-Capitano2025-01-15T10:36:02-05:00July 5th, 2023|

Three Brown Bess Muskets Found on a Revolutionary War-era Shipwreck! At the St. Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime Museum, our maritime archaeologists excavated around 600 artifacts from a 1782 British Loyalist Ship – including three Brown Bess muskets. These muskets were found loaded, cocked and ready to be fired! The flint and leather pad were found in place on the gun, as well as the paper wadding. These artifacts were found on a Revolutionary War-era [...]

What Does The 4th of July, The Revolution, & BBQ Have In Common?

Lee-Capitano2025-01-15T10:36:12-05:00June 26th, 2023|

"Oldest Grill" Found on a Revolutionary War-era Shipwreck! At the St. Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime Museum, our maritime archaeologists excavated around 600 artifacts from a 1782 British Loyalist Ship – including a Grid Iron (a grill cooking grate.) These artifacts were found on a Revolutionary War-era shipwreck we called, “The Storm Wreck”. This site consists of up to sixteen ships that wrecked on a sand bar trying to enter the St Augustine harbor in [...]

Where Were You On May 22, 1993?

Jay Smith2023-06-22T10:18:51-04:00May 24th, 2023|

On th at day, our 1st order Fresnel lens was put back into service after being repaired. In 1986, a vandal shot the lens at the top of the Lighthouse tower damaging 19 of the prisms. Beginning in 1980, the Junior Service League led a massive community effort to restore the St. Augustine Light Station. The restoration of the Keepers’ House was completed in 1990 after a disastrous fire in 1970. The League opened the Lighthouse [...]

Member Spotlight: Kelli McGreevy and Rick Poehlman

Jay Smith2023-04-25T12:10:55-04:00April 25th, 2023|

Each month we feature a Member Spotlight in our member newsletter giving our members a chance to share why the Museum is important to them and why they value their membership. This month we recognize Kelli McGreevy and Rick Poehlman. Members since 2021, Rick and Kelli were married on the front lawn of the Museum in December 2020! Kelli has been visiting the Lighthouse since she was a child while her dad was stationed at [...]

Junior Service League’s Legacy Remains

Jay Smith2023-04-13T16:11:15-04:00March 19th, 2023|

In 1970, a suspicious fire gutted the abandoned Keepers’ House located at the St. Augustine Light Station. The following year, St. Johns County purchased the property from the United States Coast Guard with the intention of demolishing the burned-out shell of the building. Enter the Junior Service League of St. Augustine and the idea of restoring the Keepers’ House as a museum and community center. The women of the JSL literally turned back the bulldozers, [...]

Pittee Descendants Visit the Museum

Jay Smith2023-06-30T14:41:30-04:00March 19th, 2023|

The Museum welcomed four descendants of Hezekiah Pittee, the superintendent over the construction of the St. Augustine Lighthouse tower between 1871 and 1874. The descendants made the trip from Tampa for a family member's funeral here and reached out to the Museum. The descendants (pictured to the left) sat down with Jason Titcomb, Chief Curator; Lee Capitano, Retail and Finance Director; and Rick Cain, Museum Operations Director to discuss the family's history at the St. [...]

HAM – Our Last Line of Communication

HAM – Our Last Line of Communication

Bobby Dye2022-08-18T08:49:59-04:00August 18th, 2022|

International Lighthouse Lightship Weekend (ILLW) 2022 We’ve probably all seen the recent news of the severe flooding in Eastern Kentucky or the wildfires in California. In each case, as in all disaster scenarios, homes and lives are destroyed, and communication breaks down. It’s tough to call for help when the power is out, and the internet and cellular service are down. Since ancient times, lighthouses served as physical signals of safety to mariners, guiding them [...]

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