St. Augustine Lighthouse
The story of the St. Augustine Lighthouse begins long before the recognizable black-and-white spiral tower was built. The site’s origins date back to the late 16th century, when Spanish settlers erected wooden watchtowers on Anastasia Island to keep an eye on enemy ships. By 1737, a more formidable coquina stone tower replaced those first fragile structures, serving as a beacon to seafarers and, according to records, possibly the first “lighthouse” in North America. After Florida became a U.S. territory, the U.S. government formalized its role as a lighthouse in 1824, fitting the old tower with new lamps and reflectors.