Compiled by James Smith In the closing days of World War I, the world faced one of the worst pandemics of the modern era, the Spanish Flu Pandemic. The term Spanish Flu originated largely because the United States government did not want news of the disease to diminish the war effort, since the conflict was nearly won. World War I ended with the armistice on November 11, 1918. However, Spain remained neutral in the conflict. [...]
#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 [...]
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 [...]
Vessel built at the St. Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime Museum for re-enactment group Heritage Boatworks volunteers at the St. Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime Museum have completed a replica of a 1760 Yawl wooden sailing vessel. This commission for HMS Bellisarius, a re-enactment group, was handcrafted for near three years. “Using plans from 1760, the boat builders have constructed a working Yawl. These boats were adopted by the British Navy in 1701 as the smallest class [...]
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 [...]
SHOW YOUR LIGHTHOUSE LOVE! Help us continue to offer summer camp to children! Many of these students come from low-income, mostly single parent homes and attend Title I schools. YOUR GIFT MAKES THIS POSSIBLE. Give Here BRICKS MAKE THE PERFECT VALENTINE GIFT! Order a brick now and receive a certificate to give your Valentine! ... There are many ways to leave a legacy at the St. Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime Museum. Naming opportunities include purchasing a brick or paver, [...]
Mary Postell A freed slave after the American Revolutionary War, Mary Postell was born in South Carolina, enslaved again in St. Augustine, Florida, where she and her daughter were kidnapped, and then taken to Nova Scotia, Canada, by her owner in 1786. In St. Augustine and Canada, Mary tried to prove her freedom in court houses. Her story was written below for a presentation for summer camp students at the St. Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime [...]
(New York) – Since the SS Cotopaxi disappeared in 1925, it has become one of the most famous stories associated with the mystery of the Bermuda Triangle. On November 29, 1925 the steam powered bulk carrier set off on a standard trip from Charleston, South Carolina to Havana, Cuba. No one knows where or how it vanished and none of bodies of the 32 passengers on board were ever recovered. It is one of the [...]
War & Warmth … A Pacific Adventure By Allyson Ropp, Lighthouse Archaeological Maritime Program Every time I travel to see family, the first question I receive is, “Where did you go now?” This is one of the best questions that I receive and luckily this last archaeological adventure took me back to the Pacific to work on a cultural heritage project related to World War II (WWII). The Marshall Islands team was led by [...]
The St. Augustine Lighthouse Archaeological Maritime Program, Inc. (LAMP) has been awarded a $499,999 grant for the First Coast Maritime Archaeology Project: Hurricane Irma Damage Assessment and Mitigation Strategy from a Hurricane Irma National Park Service Subgrant from the Department of State’s Division of Historical Resources. Funding for this program is provided by the National Park Service (NPS) pursuant to its Hurricane Harvey, Irma, and Maria (HIM) Emergency Supplemental Historic Preservation Fund (ESHPF) Grant Program. [...]
