st. augustine lighthouse

Friday, March 9, 2012

I would be remiss to discuss St. Augustine and omit the lighthouse. I'm not a lighthouse person, but I know many are. And I find this fascinating from the perspective of life on the "frontier" as it were. It was the first lighthouse established in Florida by the new, territorial, American Government in 1824. As you can imagine, there was not a whole lot there. The lighthouse keeper and his family had to farm and hunt to feed themselves. If memories serves the first few versions were of wood, kept by the Spanish. In 1824 the first coquina structure was established.


By 1870 beach erosion required a new tower. Construction began in 1871 and it stands as it was to this day.

St. Augustine Lighthouse

Hall at the base of the lighthouse, where oil was kept to be carried to the top for burning. As you can see, quite a number of stairs. No need for fad workouts here.

St. Augustine Lighthouse Hallway 040911

St. Augustine Lighthouse

The Keeper's House

St Augustine Lighthouse Keepers House

St Augustine Lighthouse Keeper's House

Images from here, here, here, here, here
teaorwine said...

I am enjoying your photo essays of Saint Augustine! I spend a great deal of time in the area and love to take visitors into town and just walk all around as the architecture is amazing.

best,
teaorwine

Ann said...

Oh good! I love that town. What are your favorite eats? My favorite place to eat is that A1A Ale Works for their root beer and then probably that popsicle bar - Hyppo. Yum!

Parnassus said...

What a nice old-fashioned lighthouse. I don't know if those treads in the staircase are the original ones, but either way they are well designed. Spiral or turning stairs generally have tapered or triangular treads called winders that are very dangerous because the narrow inner edge doesn't give much of a foothold. The ones you show taper very little and thus are well-designed and safe.
--Road to Parnassus

ArchitectDesign™ said...

interesting that those look like MARBLE floors leading up to the stairs of the lighthouse! haha