St. Augustine Florida is the oldest, continuously European-inhabited area in the United States. Many historic structures remain from different periods since the town was settled by the Spanish in 1565.

A walk through these historic streets offer many breathtaking sights such as the Old Jail, Castillo de San Marcos, and the Spanish Military Hospital. The history of St. Augustine shines grandly in every direction.

Rising majestically into the air at the north end of Anastasia Island is one of our country’s most spectacular and haunted sights. You’re standing in the presence of the St. Augustine Lighthouse!

The St. Augustine Lighthouse was constructed in 1874. It sits on the location of earlier lighthouses and watch towers dating all the way back to the late 1500’s. St. Augustine Lighthouse is known as both the oldest brick structure in St. Augustine, and the oldest site of continuous navigational aids in the country.

The St. Augustine Lighthouse was lit for the first time by William Russell in October of 1874. William Russell is also the only keeper to have worked both the current lighthouse, as well as the previous one. In October of 1975, William A. Harn became the lightkeeper until his death from tuberculosis in 1889.

Joseph Rantia became the lightkeeper from 1889 until 1901, when he was transferred and replaced with Peter Rasmusson. Rasmusson served for 23 years until his death in 1924. On July 23, 1925 electric lights were installed into the lightkeeper’s house, which sits right  across from the St. Augustine Lighthouse.

In 1907, indoor plumbing was installed in the lighthouse. The location became often used by area Coast Guard men and women during much of World War II. The lighthouse served as a lookout post for spotting  the enemy ships and submarines that were known to frequently draw near the coastline.

In 1936, the light inside the St. Augustine Lighthouse became electrified. In 1955 the light became automated. By 1960, the lightkeeper’s house no longer housed families and was rented to private residents. The house was then sold to St. John’s county in 1970, suffering a fire shortly afterward.

In 1980, the Junior Service League of St. Augustine signed a 99-year lease to restore the lightkeeper’s house and the grounds surrounding it. The lighthouse was then fully restored and placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1981 with help from author and preservationist Karen Harvey.

The antique lens of the lighthouse functioned until it was damaged by rifle fire in 1986. The FBI was called to investigate this crime while the Coast Guard considered replacing the lens. With the help of retired Coast Guard member Joe Cocking and Nick Johnson, the lens was given a complete restoration.

The St. Augustine Lighthouse and Maritime Museum opened to the public in 1994. The museum contains the St. Augustine Lighthouse, the keeper’s house, two summer kitchens built in 1886, a 1941 Coast Guard barracks, and a 1936 garage that was used as a jeep repair facility during World War II.

The St. Augustine Lighthouse is one of the most storied haunted locations in the United States. You can feel the energy as you pull  up to this location, look around, and make your way toward the entrance.

You may encounter Mary and Eliza Pittee, as well as a girl believed to be Ellie, who all drowned when a cart they were riding crashed into the water. These girls may decide to play with you by giggling in the lighthouse, tying your shoelace to the stairs, or playing hide and seek with you in the keeper’s house.

The trails that wind through the property are also a place to encounter these girls, who may appear as fully formed apparitions. Occasionally a little girl will be spotted walking on tours or sitting on a bench. Will you see her? If so, she may talk to you and you can find out if her name is Mary, Eliza, or Ellie.

As you climb the lighthouse stairs or walk around the keeper’s house looking at historical artifacts, you may be suddenly overwhelmed by strong cigar smoke. Peter Rasmusson loved the lighthouse so much that he may have never left. Perhaps you can find a way to get a story along with a smoke from Peter.

Joseph Andreu served as lightkeeper until the day he began painting at the top of the lighthouse. Andreu fell quickly to his death. Listen close for his fateful screams from the past. You may also catch a glimpse of his likely shadow on the stairs as famously captured on the television show “Ghost Hunters”.

Spend some time walking along any area of this property, and you find yourself in the company of a pirate of civil war soldier. This location saw quite a bit of tragedy on its shores over the past 500 years.

Join us for a night at St. Augustine Lighthouse and see what secrets you’ll uncover here…If you dare!