In 1737 the Spanish replaced the most recent of the wooden watchtowers with a new watchtower made of coquina that was 30 feet tall. In 1763 Florida came under British rule after the French and Indian War. The British built an additional 30 feet onto the Spanish watchtower by building a wooden extension. It became a true lighthouse during this time.

In 1783 Florida was returned to the Spanish and they removed the wooden extension on the tower that the British constructed. After St. Augustine became part of the Florida Territory, the Americans lighted  the watchtower with lamps and reflectors. These was not visible at sea, so in 1852 the tower was raised by 10 feet. In 1853 it received a fourth order Fresnel Lens. It was powered by an oil lamp that used whale oil. During the American Civil War the lens was removed and hidden to make it harder for Union ships sailing nearby. Eventually the location of the lens was revealed and the tower was relit in 1867.

One resident of the old Spanish Watchtower and lighthouse keeper's home was local Minorcan, Maria Andreu. Her husband, Joseph Andreu, also a local Minorcan, was named lighthouse keeper in 1854, and more than likely she and her eight children helped care for the light and keeping it lit. Tragically in 1859, while whitewashing the now-60 foot high tower, Joseph Andreu slipped, fell, and died. Maria Andreu became the first lady lighthouse keeper in the U.S., serving in that position until 1862 when at age 61, she moved away from St. Augustine.

In 1871 it was becoming obvious that the old coquina tower was coming to an end due to erosion. Construction on a new lighthouse further inland was started in 1871 and finished in 1874. The lighthouse was lit for the first time on October 15, 1874 by William R. Russell with a light specially designed for this lighthouse.

Unused by 1970, twenty-four years of grassroot efforts were necessary to save the keeper's house. In 1981, the Lighthouse was added to the National Register of Historic Places. In 1991, the Coast Guard replaced the light with an airport beacon. And in 1994, the Maritime Museum was opened full-time. In 2017, the St. Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime Museum joined the prestigious American Alliance of Museums.]]> The Spanish]]>
Photograph 1 (c.1850s-1871): Waterbury, Jean Parker, ed. The Oldest City: St. Augustine, Saga of Survival. St. Augustine, FL: St. Augustine Historical Society, 1983.

Photograph 2 (c.1890): Tellier, Mark. St. Augustine’s Pictures of the Past: The Second Discovery. 1st edition. Published by the author, 1979.

Photograph 3 (2023): Augusty, Jean-Marc. "Picture of Foundation of Original Watchtower/Lighthouse [1]." February 25, 2023.

Photograph 4 (2023): Augusty, Jean-Marc. "Picture of Foundation of Original Watchtower/Lighthouse [2]." February 25, 2023.

Photograph 5 (c.1920s): Bowen, Beth Rogero, and the St. Augustine Historical Society. St. Augustine in the Roaring Twenties. Acadia Publishing, 2012.

Photograph 6 (2023): Augusty, Jean-Marc. "Picture of the St. Augustine Lighthouse." March 5, 2023.

Photograph 6 (2025): Zufelt, Holly. "St. Augustine Lighthouse." October 24, 2025.

Photograph 7 (2025): Zufelt, Holly. "St. Augustine Lighthouse Plaque." October 24, 2025.

Photograph 8 (2025): Zufelt, Holly. "Sentinels of the Coast." December 19, 2025.

The following books, articles, and/or websites were used to find information about this location:

Harvey, Karen. Daring Daughters: St. Augustine's Feisty Females, 1565-2000. Virginia Beach, VA: The Donning Company, 2002.

St. Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime Museum. "History."  2023. https://www.staugustinelighthouse.org/get-involved/about-mission-uvp/history/.

Winsberg, Morton D., compiler. Florida’s History through Its Places: Properties in the National Register of Historic Places. Institute of Science and Public Affairs/Florida State Univ., 1988.]]> ]]> Anastasia Island.]]>
Always the Vampire
Candledancer
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Down South
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First Discoveries
Frank Merriwell's Life Struggle
Ghost Squad
In the Wilds of Florida
A Jolly Fellowship
The Land Where the Sun Dies
Mandie and the Seaside Rendezvous
My Mother Is a Violet Woman
Mystery of the Missing Candlestick
St. Augustine A to Z
St. Augustine's Spirits in Our Midst
Storm and the Mermaid's Knot
Things That Hang from Trees]]> https://www.staugustinelighthouse.org/.]]> St. Augustine, FL 32080]]>