The St. Augustine Lighthouse

I know. I’ve been M.I.A. I blame it on the snow. Yes, it’s hard to believe, but there was more snow. Seriously.

Anyway, moving on to a less snowy area, electronically.

Actually, that’s an outright lie. When I was in St. Augustine, I climbed to the top of the lighthouse. Where it was snowing. In Florida.

I know, right?

Standing at 165 feet above sea level with 219 steps leading to the top, the lighthouse is pretty tall – which explains the snow at the top, while there was only rain at ground level.

I did not look down – or up, for that matter – while I climbed, though I don’t have a fear of heights. Just of falling. Anyway, that didn’t stop me.

The first thing I saw on my way up was the keeper’s house. The keeper’s house was built on the site in 1876, and housed keepers and assistants until 1955, when the lighthouse was automated. Its brick exterior makes it the perfect mate to the lighthouse itself, which was constructed of Alabama brick and Philadelphia iron in 1874 (it took three years to construct). Though it’s made out of brick, the lighthouse is painted in white and black spirals.

The higher you get, the more you see. The strange thing about the lighthouse in St. Augustine is that it’s not located directly on the coast. Instead, it’s a bit inland of the ocean.

Anyway, the lighthouse that stands in St. Augustine today was not the first on the spot. That honor is claimed by a Spanish watchtower that was constructed in the late 1500s, which eventually became the state’s first lighthouse in 1824. When shoreline erosion appeared it would cause problems for the structure, construction on the new tower began in the early 1870s. The original watchtower went down in 1880, while today’s lighthouse stood strong.

The keeper’s house was gutted by a fire in 1970, and restoration work began under the Junior Service League of St. Augustine, Inc., in 1980.

It was a fifteen-year campaign that resulted in a museum open to the public in 1988. The tower was opened in 1993.

Through the General Services Administration, the deed of the tower was transferred from the U.S. Coast Guard to the St. Augustine Lighthouse and Museum, Inc., in July 2002. It was part of the pilot program of the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act of 2000.

The Coast Guard also gave the first-order Fresnel lens to the museum.

Now, the site of the lighthouse incorporates the keeper’s house, the tower and a building at the base used, at one point, as a Coast Guard bunk.

The view from the top is pretty legit, if I do say so myself.

Ok, I’ll be honest. I didn’t spend much time at all on the red balcony surrounding the top of the lighthouse. I mean, it was snowing, and there were 30-mph winds howling around, and I was 165 feet up. It just didn’t seem like a good idea (MaryLou didn’t even join me for the climb).

But, while I was at the top, I spoke with a very nice docent. This is pretty much what I said:

Ok. So. I’m not going to lie. I saw the lighthouse on ‘Ghost Hunters.’ Is it really haunted? Have you ever seen anything? Or maybe heard something? Or, like, you know…

When I say she was nice, I’m not kidding. Not only did she answer my question – which undoubtedly, she hears nearly every day – but she answered with enthusiasm and excitement.

She had, in fact, experienced something.

Just to catch you up, T.A.P.S. did visit the structure. The group debunked several popular myths about the lighthouse – including that a bucket located on the climb to the top mysteriously lifted and dropped of its own accord.

However, T.A.P.S. did find the lighthouse to be haunted – the voice of a woman saying “help me,” as well as video of what appears to be a person, were both caught on audio and video near the top of the structure.

So. My new friend the docent told me about her experience. She is stationed at the top of the lighthouse. On a slow day, she was outside on the balcony. One other couple was on the balcony, as well.

As part of her job, she is supposed to monitor who goes out on the balcony – children are not allowed out without their parents, and they often dash up the stairs, zipping past their older relatives. Docents keep them waiting before hitting the balcony.

Anyway, she turned toward the door – without hearing anybody coming, an absolute feat in the echo-filled tower – and saw hands grasping the doorway, as if someone was emerging, and feet stepping outside. As soon as she looked, the mysterious appendages immediately retreated into the lighthouse.

Assuming it was a child without parental supervision, she headed back inside. But after checking the lens room and the landings, there was no one there – or, for that matter, in the entire tower itself.

Spooky.

While I was at the top of the lighthouse, MaryLou was at the bottom, speaking with the director. A woman who claimed to be neither a believer nor a non-believer, she, too, had stories to tell.

For one, when wandering the keeper’s house, she has, on occasion, smelled pipe or cigar smoke out of nowhere. In fact, a little girl on a recent tour the director had been giving smelled the smoke at the exact time the director had. The little girl promptly asked, “What’s that smoke smell?”

The director had no answer, but one of the long-dead keepers is said to have been a smoker.

Also, while getting to the house early in the morning on several occasions, the director has had trouble with her key. It was around 6 a.m. each time, and she was getting in early to set up displays in the museum.

Fumbling with her key outside, she heard footsteps just beyond the door, and thought it was the woman who came in early to clean the museum. Let’s call her Jane.

Jane, it’s me, let me in!

The director would call out, and the heavy, distinct footsteps would walk toward the door – then walk away to a more distant room.

She would finally let herself in, to find herself alone in the house.

Haunted or not, there are some tragic events surrounding the lighthouse, including a few deaths on the site. The keeper’s basement is rumored to be home to an ethereal vision or two.

See that red light on the bricks??

Yeah, that’s not a ghost.

Either is the reflection on the glass in the corner.

…Or is it?

Though I didn’t personally see any ghosts – nor did MaryLou – I like to think there is a spirit or two lingering at the lighthouse. It just adds to its charm, no?

All of the stories of the lighthouse’s alleged haunting are why it definitely makes my list of the top oddities of St. Augustine.

It also makes my list of one of the top, must-see attractions there, thanks to its rich history and knowledgeable staff. Seriously, if you’re ever there, do yourself a favor – go, and chat with any docents you find.

The lighthouse opens daily at 9 a.m., and the last tickets to climb to the top are sold at 5:45 p.m. It is located at 81 Lighthouse Ave., St. Augustine, Fla. For more information, visit its website, e-mail info@staugustinelighthouse.com or call 904-829-0745.