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The St Augustine Lighthouse is located on the north end of Anastasia Island, in St Augustine Beach, Florida. The port of St Augustine had always been a challenge for the mariners to navigate safely. So Pedro Melendez, who founded St. Augustine in 1565, decided to build a tower made of wood on the north end of Anastasia Island. This tower was built to help the incoming ships safely identify the harbor of St. Augustine. In 1683, the Spanish government decided to replace the old wooden tower with one constructed of readily available coquina rock. The new tower compound also included a lighthouse keeper’s home, guard house, and ammunition storage shed.
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As time passed, the coquina rock of the tower became weak and dangerous. Along with the sea eroding away that part of the island, it was evident that the coquina lighthouse was on the verge of collapse. In 1871 it was decided that a new tower constructed of concrete was needed. The construction of this new concrete tower was completed in 1874. About 5 years later, the old coquina lighthouse keeper’s house fell into the sea and the old tower soon disappeared.
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This new lighthouse was converted from lamp fuel to kerosene in 1885. In 1886, the St. Augustine Lighthouse was caused to sway violently by the Charleston earthquake, luckily no damage was found. The lighthouse was very useful during World War II as the coast watch used the lighthouse as a lookout post for enemy ships, spies and submarines.
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In 1936, the St. Augustine Lighthouse was then converted to electricity. Since there was no oil to carry or soot to clean off the lens, the number of lighthouse keepers was reduced to two. In 1955, the service of the St Augustine Light House was transferred to the Coast Guard and was fully automated.
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Today, the St. Augustine Lighthouse is owned and operated by the St. Augustine Lighthouse & Museum, Inc. (SAL&M). It was opened to the public in 1994. SAL&M’s job is to preserve the history of this great monument located in the oldest known city in the US. The museum board also helps in preserving other such lighthouses in Florida.
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The St Augustine Lighthouse is a must visit in northeast Florida. It takes approximately one hour to tour the site and climb the tower. So the next time you’re visiting St. Augustine Florida, make sure you include the lighthouse into your travel itinerary.
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