Old St. Augustine, the sentinel of the Ancient City, was first completed in 1824. The lantern of this magnificent beacon held ten patent lamps with fourteen-inch reflectors. On April 5, 1824 the lamps were lit. The old Spanish watchtower along with its historic fort, became the first true lighthouse in Florida.

For years the Lighthouse Keepers continued their duties with no incident, until, in late 1859, a tragedy occurred. As Keeper Joseph Andreu was pulling himself up about 60 feet high along the tower on a scaffold to begin the arduous task of whitewashing the Lighthouse, the ropes on the scaffold suddenly gave way. The sixty-year-old Andreu plummeted to his death. At this tragic turn of events, the government appointed Andreu’s wife to the new Keepers position. She served as the first woman Keeper of the Light Station at St. Augustine.

With the Civil War in 1861, came the federally ordered dismantling of the St. Augustine Light. After the war ended and considerable effort was put forth in repairing the ramshackle tower, the Lighthouse board published,

“Notice is hereby given that on and after June 1, 1867, the light at St. Augustine, Florida will be re-exhibited. The light is on the north end of Anastasia Island, south side of the entrance to St. Augustine. The focal plane is 57 feet from sea level, and should be seen a distance of 3 nautical miles. The lenses are of the fourth order, white, fixed, varied by flashes, with intervals of 20 seconds and illuminating an arc of 360 degrees. The tower is white surmounted by a lantern painted black. The keepers dwelling is in front of the tower, seaward, is two stories high and painted white.”

But the old St. Augustine faced a new enemy, erosion. By 1871, it was decreed that a new lighthouse would be constructed. The new tower would be built about 600 yards away from the old beacon, on firmer soil. As soon as the new lighthouse at St. Augustine was completed in 1874, it became a popular tourist destination. Reports of the nations newest and one of the tallest lighthouses in the nation began filtering back to people all over the country. The lighthouse was frequently mentioned in print.

Another tragic turn for this magnificent beacon came in the summer of 1880, when, in a violent storm, the old lighthouse toppled into the sea. It was later rebuilt into what we now know as the St. Augustine Lighthouse.