Lighthouse History

A Letter to Santa from the St. Augustine Lighthouse

A Letter to Santa from the St. Augustine Lighthouse

Jay Smith2021-12-23T12:29:04-05:00December 22nd, 2021|

This December, the St. Augustine Record republished a series of Letters to Santa printed in the St. Augustine Evening Record from December 1921. Peter Willott, a reporter for the Record, worked with the staff at the St. Augustine Historical Society's Research Library to gather these letters. One of the letters came from little Eloise Malloy, the only daughter of Clarence and Agnes Malloy. Clarence served as the First Assistant Keeper of the St. Augustine Light [...]

A “Grand” Grand Traverse Lighthouse Christmas

Jay Smith2020-12-16T11:53:25-05:00December 16th, 2020|

There are few accounts of Christmas at the Light Stations across the country. One of these accounts is from Bette McCormick Olli who grew up at Grand Traverse Lighthouse. Her story gives a eyewitness record of how Keepers and their families balanced family life with duty to keeping the light shining. We hope that you enjoy her account and remember that, even today, we have men and women serving across the world sometimes with or [...]

GHOST PROFILES: Learn a little about our lighthouse ghosts in these fun Q&As

GHOST PROFILES: Learn a little about our lighthouse ghosts in these fun Q&As

Jay Smith2020-09-23T10:41:05-04:00April 23rd, 2020|

Update (September 23, 2020): The Lighthouse has reopened, and the Dark of the Moon Tours have returned! The codes in this post will not work any longer, but please give us a call or visit us online to schedule your tickets for the Dark of the Moon Tour!! GHOST PROFILES: Learn a little about our lighthouse ghosts in these Q&As from the St. Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime Museum and Dark of the Moon Ghost Tours. [...]

Mission Accomplished: Preserving a Revolutionary War Shipwreck (VIDEO!)

Mission Accomplished: Preserving a Revolutionary War Shipwreck (VIDEO!)

Jay Smith2020-04-16T10:16:53-04:00April 16th, 2020|

#LoveYourLighthouse Your St. Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime Museum is closed to protect you and your lighthouse family from COVID-19. Your Gift of Love for our Maritime Heritage Makes A Difference. Donate today, or take advantage of deep discount opportunities by visiting www.staugustinelighthouse.org. Stay Safe and #LoveYourLighthouse https://youtu.be/XKPP-EgZVK0 Thank you for joining the St. Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime Museum for Mission Accomplished: Preserving a Revolutionary War Shipwreck. This is the second of a four-part series showcasing the Museum [...]

Stuck at Home: Virtually Visit the St. Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime Museum

Stuck at Home: Virtually Visit the St. Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime Museum

Jay Smith2020-03-28T09:00:17-04:00March 28th, 2020|

#LoveYourLighthouse Your St. Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime Museum is closed to protect you and your lighthouse family from COVID-19. While we are closed, we invite you to take virtual tours of the lighthouse and museum in the following YouTube videos. Your Gift of Love for our Maritime Heritage Makes A Difference. Donate today, or take advantage of deep discount opportunities by visiting www.staugustinelighthouse.org. Stay Safe and #LoveYourLighthouse Tour the St. Augustine Lighthouse with Head Lighthouse Keeper Rick [...]

Women’s History Month: Maria Andreu and Her Legacy in St. Augustine

Jay Smith2023-03-13T14:43:40-04:00March 20th, 2020|

The first St. Augustine Lighthouse, called the Old Spanish Watchtower, which became Florida's first lighthouse in 1824. Maria Andreu, wife of Head Keeper Joseph Andreu, became the first female lighthouse keeper of Hispanic-American descent in Florida when her husband died in 1859. To best understand the importance of women at the St. Augustine Lighthouse, we must understand that women have always supported the lighthouse keepers. They ran the household so that the keepers [...]

Ghost Stories: The Pittee Girls

Ghost Stories: The Pittee Girls

Jay Smith2024-12-11T13:07:09-05:00March 2nd, 2020|

By Kelcie Lloyd, Special Programs Manager BOOK Your Dark of the Moon Ghost Tour The Pittee Sisters After being darkened during the Civil War, on June 1, 1867, the Old Spanish watchtower once more became a functioning lighthouse with the return of its light. Nevertheless, it soon became clear that the structure would soon lose the battle with Mother Nature as the sea continued to erode the land around the lighthouse. After several [...]

St. Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime Museum celebrates the 145th Anniversary of the Historic Tower

amy.gress2019-10-10T09:53:16-04:00October 10th, 2019|

St. Johns County residents receive free admission on October 15 with code JSL The St. Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime Museum celebrates 145 years of maritime history in the current historic, lighthouse tower. The second lighthouse at St. Augustine was built from 1871 to 1874 and topped by the first-order Fresnel lens from Paris, France. The first lighting was by Keeper William Russell on October 15, 1874. “The tower stands testament to a maritime heritage that [...]

PHOTOS: Anastasia Island historic photographs

PHOTOS: Anastasia Island historic photographs

amy.gress2019-08-16T14:41:54-04:00August 16th, 2019|

Historic photographs on Anastasia Island from the late-19th through the late-20th centuries.

PHOTOS: World War II U.S. Coast Guard photos in St. Augustine, Florida

amy.gress2019-08-15T14:09:16-04:00August 15th, 2019|

View historic photos of St. Augustine when it was a US Coast Guard station during World War II (1941-1945).

Open 9 AM - 6:30 PM daily. Free Parking.