The St. Augustine Lighthouse

St. Augustine has had a series of wooden watchtowers to help guide ships to St. Augustine since the 1500s.  The structures were upgraded to a lighthouse built of  Coquina in 1824.  By 1870, the "Old Spanish Tower" was threatened by coastal erosion.  It was time to move and upgrade the lighthouse. Construction of the relocated lighthouse, made of Alabama brick and iron, began in 1871.  A nine foot tall Fresnel Lens was installed and the beacon was lit in 1874.

The St. Augustine Lighthouse
at a distance....







It's easy to find this 165 foot tall navigation aid on the flat north Florida coast.

St. Augustine's Lighthouse

is the oldest brick structure

in St. Augustine.

The lighting system was
automated  in 1955.

The lighthouse is now lit by
a 1,000 watt light bulb.

The St. Augustine's Lighthouse is a a ghostly place.  SyFy Channel's popular show, Ghost Hunters, visited the lighthouse and recorded strange sounds, voices and shadows moving high up in the tower. This episode aired on May 3, 2006.